Is Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero quitting a much anticipated and much talked about bid for the Presidency of the Philippines?

Perhaps that the was the formost question on the minds of the bloggers who were present at the lunch hosted on behalf of Senator Escudero at Annabel’s on Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City.


After stuffing myself with a plate of paella, pernod soaked prawns, and roasted pork, Senator Chiz stepped into the scene with a plate in hand and a quick apology for being five minutes late for an appointment which was supposed to start at 12 noon.

The mood was light and the 30 or so bloggers that confirmed their attendance to the blogger’s lunch organized by Carlo Ople were excited to see the big cheese himself.  As soon as the man in the toit shirt and toit pants sat down, video and still cameras were all turned on. Flashbulbs started flashing and the tally lights of handy video cameras started blinking.

I have to admit, Escudero’s opening statement was disarming, “Pag may camera ba hindi ako pwedeng magsigarilyo?” (“Will I be allowed to smoke if the cameras are on?”)


Sure you can, I chimed along with Marocharim who was seated on his left and I wondered if it had been arranged for him to have the seat closest to Chiz.  Having rockstar-like blogger with rockstar-like politician seemed to have some symmetry to it, but maybe that’s just me and how I tend to see things.  Anyway, I lit a cigarette and puffed away.

Carlo Ople fired the first question and it was, “Are you still running in 2010 and if ever, for what position?”

Chiz answered: “I do not know yet. I resigned from NPC last October 28. It has been lingering on my mind for the past several months and finally um. Wala naman kaming sinabing mag-a-announce kami sa 28. Everybody just assumed that we would declare.  Ironically, for example, ABS-CBN was saying that I was going to declare.  Ironically also, more than the air time they gave showing my face, they showed the face of Danding Cojuanco which was unfair to him as well as to me.  Nagpaalam ako ng maayos sa mga kapartido ko, hindi sa lahat, sa liderato ng partido. Walang away, walang debate, walang sigawan, malumanay at maayos. Naintindihan naman ang kalagayan ko.  Kung ano ang sinabi ko doon, yun ang rason.

“Marami na ang nag-interpret na (garbled) ko daw ang political party, hindi.  The best analogy to show to prove it would be, kapag may kinasal kang anak, diba may kasabihan silang – you’re not losing a daughter you are gaining a son – your not losing a son, you are gaining a daughter.  The closest analogy to draw to what I did is that I stepped outside my party so that everybody would be on an equal footing as far as I am concerned.

“Kung NPC ako, Lakas ka, ND ka, LP ka,  mag-usap-usap tayo kung ano ang gagawin para sa bansa, pag-uwi ko sa bahay, kausap ko sa bahay puro NPC pa rin. Ang malamang papakinggan ko puro NPC pa rin.  Kayo ba magtitiwala, maniniwala, makikinig at tutulong sa ganung klaseng sitwasyon?  Lumabas ako sa sarili kong partido, hayaan ko na ang mga nakaupong NPC doon. Hiwalay at iba para malaya ang pakikipag usap, walang tinititigan, walang tinitignan.  Pantay na pagtingin at pantay na pagtrato.  At siguro, kung di ka na nabubulagan ng may nasa likod mo na parang big brother, hindi mo magagawa ang gusto mong gawin, madali mong sabihin ang gusto mong sabihin at magsabi man sila ng hindi sila sangayon, hindi ka apektado dahil bahagi ng demokrasya iyon na hindi ka sangayon sa sinasabi ng iba. 

“I may not agree with what you are saying but I’ll defend your right to say it.  Ganon ang gusto kong relasyon sa dati kong partido and I said exactly what I meant. And I meant exactly what I said.


I’ll post more of the transcript here later and you’ll get Chiz’s answers to tougher questions, such as was his resignation from NPC over money matters and is he really serious about making math an elective subject?