SEN. Francis “Chiz” Escudero announced Wednesday morning he has resigned from the Nationalist People’s Coalition founded by business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. but stopped short of saying if he was running for president in 2010.
In leaving the NPC of which he had a member since 1998 when he first ran as representative of Sorogon, the 40-year-old senator told a media briefing at Club Filipino that a candidate for public office, much more the presidency, should not be “chained” to any political party and subjected to its dictates.
Declaring that the country is now his party and Filipinos his partymates, Escudero, earlier touted to be the NPC’s standard-bearer, said he will still decide in the coming weeks whether or not to run for president.
“Nais ko ako bilang ako ang magpapasya (I’d like to decide on my own—me as me),” he said. (Listen to Escudero’s statement)
Escudero said he relayed his decision to leave the party to the NPC chairman, former Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy Jr., and has not spoken to Cojuangco.
A well-placed source from the Escudero camp told VERA Files that the senator decided to bolt the party amid reports that Cojuangco and Sen. Edgardo Villar have had talks with Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar of the Nacionalista Party for Sen. Loren Legarda, an NPC member, to be the latter’s running mate.
The source said Escudero was also being convinced to withdraw from the presidential race for a big sum of money.
Escudero told the press conference that he was unaware of the deal. He also said he has not closed the door on running with Legarda.
On Friday, Legarda declared her intention to run for vice president but did not say with whom.
Listing his priorities, Escudero said the country should first address the problem of graft and corruption. His other priorities: abolition of the “pork barrel” system; enforcement of line-item budgeting; an end to contractualization of works; restoration of dignity to police, military and ambassador; assistance to overseas workers; and repeal of the oil deregulation law.
Escudero’s father, Sorsogon Rep. and former Agriculture Secretary Salvador “Sonny” Escudero, former police chief Avelino Razon and members of detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV Samahang Magdalo Party were among the supporters of Escudero at the Club Filipino press conference
The Magdalo announced Sunday it would support Escudero’s presidential bid.
The Commission on Elections on Tuesday rejected the Magdalo’s application as a registered political party for next year’s elections.
In a six-page resolution, the Comelec said Magdalo’s founders “still harbor the propensity to engage in another illegal adventure similar to the failed 2003 Oakwood mutiny should they again fail to achieve their goal.”
It cited the November 2007 standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel led by Trillanes.—Yvonne Chua and Ellen Tordesillas