Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero seeks a Senate comeback. A representative filed his certificate of candidacy for senator on Friday, October 1, before the Commission on Elections in Manila.

Escudero, through his representative George Garcia, was among the first senatorial aspirants to file his COC. He is running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Play Video

A statement posted on the 51-year-old politician’s Facebook page said that if elected senator, he would use his position to solve “economic and public health problems” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Escudero plans to champion laws that would strengthen local government units whose powers “particularly in this time of the pandemic, have been greatly undermined by decisions singularly emanating from the national government.”

Before running for governor in 2019 under the NPC, Escudero finished his second consecutive term as senator. He first entered politics at the age of 28 and ran and won as Sorsogon 1st District Representative in 1998.

In 2016, he ran for vice president with Senator Grace Poe. He had previously served as spokesman of the late action star Fernando Poe Jr (FPJ) when he ran for president in 2004 that’s why FPJ’s daughter stood by Escudero despite persistent talk at the time that he was a liability. Escudero lost to Vice President Leni Robredo.

Poe had been in talks with Moreno to be his running mate but she ultimately declined. Moreno’s running mate is doctor Willie Ong. – Rappler.com