Chiz aims a step higher in the political ladder

Almost 20 years since he first entered politics, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero is now set to run for the second highest elective position in the country. 

 

Escudero first entered public office in 1998 when he was elected representative of the first district of Sorsogon. He served three terms until 2007, and acted as House Minority Leader.

 

From the House of Representatives, Chiz tried his luck in the Senate during the 2007 mid-term elections and ranked second among the list of winning senators, next to Senator Loren Legarda with a difference of less than 250,000 votes.

 

At the time, he was with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). He ran alongside his close friend, then senator-wannabe and now President Benigno Aquino III under the Genuine Opposition (GO) banner.

 

Escudero’s legislative profile includes having authored the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act, Anti-Torture Act, and the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines.

 

He was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for youth leadership in 2005, and was honored by the World Economic Forum in 2008 as one of the world’s Young Global Leaders.

 

NPC member

 

Despite his resignation from the NPC in 2009, Escudero is still expected to get the backing of his former political party, which happens to be the second biggest next to the ruling Liberal Party (LP).

 

Earlier, majority of NPC members have expressed support to a Senator Grace Poe-Escudero tandem in 2016, although the party has yet to make an official stand on the matter.

 

At the sidelines of the recent meetings held by NPC with Senators Poe and Escudero, party members said Chiz will always be a part of NPC even if he quit the party six years ago.

 

Escudero announced his decision to quit the NPC on Oct. 28, 2009, contrary to speculations then that he would run for president in the 2010 elections.

 

The announcement was made at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, the same venue where he announced his vice presidential bid for 2016.

 

Noy-Bi

 

It is no secret that Escudero supported a Noy-Bi tandem in the 2010 elections; Noy as in President Noynoy Aquino and Bi for Vice President Jejomar Binay.

 

Late in the campaign during the May 2010 elections, Escudero came up with a television advertisement which showed him expressing support for Binay's vice presidential run.

Annulment, second marriage

 

Escudero is married to celebrity Heart Evangelista.

 

The two said their “I dos” on Feb. 15, a day after Heart celebrated her 30th birthday. It was Escudero’s second marriage. The senator had fraternal twins from his first marriage to Christine Elizabeth Flores.

 

Chiz was born Oct. 10, 1969 to the late Agricultural Minister and former Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III, and educator Evelina Guevara.

 

He obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science from UP Diliman, and bachelor of laws at the UP College of Law.

 

After passing the bar in 1994, he went on to obtain a masters degree at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. — RSJ, GMA News