MANILA, Philippines – “El Presidente” is the title of the movie that actor-turned politician ER Ejercito, now governor of Laguna after serving as mayor of Pagsanjan for three terms, is set to do this year. It’s a film project that he has been so passionate about the past 12 years or so. But is the title any indication of ER’s ultimate political goal? He just smiled enigmatically and said, “I’ve already been president – of the Actors’ Guild of the Philippines!”

But seriously, he said his real intention in making the movie is to come out with the truth about Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, hailed as one of the greatest generals in Philippine history who fought for Philippine Independence. ER cited eight other historical justifications for the project: Aguinaldo was the founder of the First Philippine Republic; Aguinaldo was the power and the glory behind the Filipinos’ struggle for freedom and independence; Aguinaldo was a statesman, a patriot and the greatest leader of the Philippine Revolution; Aguinaldo was responsible for creating the Philippine Flag, the National Anthem, the Philippine Constitution, and ultimately, the First Philippine Republic; Aguinaldo was credited for uniting and unifying variouys regional factions into a Filipino nation; Aguinaldo was the Revolutionary Hero who signaled the Filipinos’ ground armed resistance against Spain, and later against America; Aguinaldo represented the Filipinos’ moment of glory during the 1898 Revolution; and Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898.

It’s time to do a commercial epic film about General Aguinaldo, in the tradition of “Gandhi,” “Revolution,” “Braveheart,” “Troy” and “The Last Samurai,” ER stressed.

ER intends to finish the movie this year, after 12 years of research by historians (Jose Mari Avellana and Jose Victor Torres) and

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