Mother of former president Estrada dies

abs-cbnNEWS.com | Doña Mary Ejercito, mother of former Philippine president Joseph Estrada, has died Tuesday. She was 103 years old.
According to Estrada's spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo, Doña Mary died at around 4:15 p.m. at the San Juan Medical Center. Former president Estrada, along with all his living brothers and sisters, were by Dona Mary's bedside when she passed away. Also at the hospital was Estrada's son, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito.
"According to the physician on-call, Dra. Gina Bagsic, Doña Mary died of multiple organ failure. Her kidneys had shut down four days ago. She had been on a respirator for over a year and had also experienced pneumonia as a consequence of possible infections from the respirator," Salcedo said.
"The doctors tried to revive Dona Mary earlier this afternoon but she was no longer responding,' she added.
Salcedo said Ejercito will be brought to St. John the Baptist Church, also known as the Pinaglabanan Church, in San Juan for the wake.
"We are very saddened by the loss," said Sen. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, grandson of Doña Mary.
Born May 2, 1905, Mary Ejercito 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. She married Emilio Ejercito, an engineer who became the first Sanitary Engineer of the City of Manila. Together, they had ten children, including President Estrada and the actor George Estregan.
Ejercito's health has been deteriorating since Estrada's incarceration in 2001. She had been confined to the hospital and attached to a respirator since August 2007.