Do?a Mary Ejercito, mother of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, died of multiple organ failure yesterday at 4:15 p.m.

Estrada, together with his other siblings and relatives, stayed beside the matriarch?s deathbed at the San Juan Medical Center, where she had been confined since August 2007, said spokesman Margaux Salcedo.

She was 103.

San Juan City Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito was at his grandmother?s bedside, Salcedo said.

?Senator Jinggoy was also around,? she added.

According to physician on call, Dr. Gina Bagsic, Do?a Mary died of heart failure and aneurysm in the abdomen.

On Dec. 12, Estrada was unable to join the inter-faith rally in Makati because he rushed to the hospital as doctors tried to revive Do?a Mary. At the time, the Estrada matriarch complained of difficulty in breathing. Test results showed her blood pressure had gone down.

Her remains will be laid at St. John the Baptist Church, otherwise known as the Pinaglabanan Church.

In a radio interview Senator Estrada said: ?Maraming maraming salamat po sa mga nagdasal para sa lola ko. Nagpapasalamat din kami sa ating Panginoon at binigyan siya ng ganitong ka-habang buhay [We thank heartfully all those who prayed for my grandmother. We likewise thank God for giving her a long life].?

Born May 2, 1905, Do?a Mary finished her secondary education 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 Manila. They had 10 children, including President Estrada?Pilarica, Emilio Jr., Paul, Pat, Antonio, Connie [deceased], Marita, George [deceased] and Jesse.

In 1998, Ejercito received the ?Ulirang Ina? award from the Philippines? Elderly Persons Foundation. Gigi Mu?oz David