Mary Ejercito

Maria "Mary" Marcelo vda. de Ejército (May 2, 1906 – January 13, 2009), also known as Doña Mary, was the mother of Joseph Ejercito Estrada, the thirteenth president of the Philippines. Her ailing health was cited as among the reasons for the withdrawal of the appeal of the former president from his conviction for criminal plunder charges in 2007; Estrada was immediately pardoned by his successor, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Education Maria Marcelo finished her secondary schooling at the Colegio de Sta. Rosa, and enrolled at the University of the Philippines Faculty of Music, where she received a diploma in piano. Marriage and children She met Emilio Ejercito Sr. (1899–1977), an engineer who became the first Sanitary Engineer of the City of Manila. They were married on June 13, 1926, in Singalong, Manila. Together they had ten children: Pilarica (born 1927), Emilio, Jr. (1929-1999), Paulino (Paulie) (1931-2009), Patrocinio (born 1933), Antonio (1933-2004), Connie (born 1935), Marita (born 1935), the (former) President and mayor Joseph Estrada (born 1937), the actor George Estregan (Jorge) (1939-1988) and Jesus (Jesse) (born 1947). In 1998, Ejercito received the "Ulirang Ina" ('Exemplary Mother') award from the Philippines’ Elderly Persons Foundation. In that same year, she attended the presidential inauguration of her son Joseph on June 30 at Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. Presidential mother During her son's rule, Ejercito kept a low profile. She reportedly advised her son to be cautious of the influence wielded by his close friends. During President Estrada's impeachment trial, news of the political crisis was deliberately withheld from her, but after receiving information of the proceedings she advised her son thusly: "It's more than high time you change. The people are angry now."