Senate President Francis Escudero speaks during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — This early, Senate President Francis Escudero rejected the idea of running for a higher government post.
It was just a week ago when Escudero ascended to the highest seat in the Senate, replacing Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, but his friends were already insinuating that he could be seeking a higher role.
“I just want to focus on the Senate as an institution. I have no dreams or ambitions of running for a higher office as one would usually say or think,” Escudero said over ANC’s “Headstart” on Monday.
“Sabi nga ng mga kaibigan ko, o game na. Game na saan? Kayo naman, tumakbo na tayong vice nga, vice na nga lang talo pa. Tama na, hanggang dito na lang. Gawin na lang natin yung magagawa natin dito,” he said.
(My friends are saying, ‘Let’s go for it.’ Go for what? We already ran for vice president. We even lost at that. Enough, let’s just stop here. Let’s just do what we can do here.)
Escudero ran but lost in the 2016 vice presidential race.
He made the remarks when asked how he plans to run the Senate under his leadership.
While he could not describe his style of leadership, Escudero said he would not be a Mr. Win-Win Senate leader or would not consider himself “primus inter pares,” a Latin phrase which means first among equal.
If at all, Escudero said he would like to be a consensus builder.
“I’d like to build consensus, instead of dictating,” he said.
Escudero also promised not to let his personal beliefs affect any measure in Congress.
The new Senate chief has been vocal against divorce and the proposed the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
And although he is against the ROTC bill, Escudero said he would not put it in the back burner simply because he is against it and he is the Senate president.
“That’s not me,” he pointed out.
When he was the chairman of the Senate committee on higher education, he said he referred the ROTC bill to a subcommittee chaired by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
“I told him (Dela Rosa) that I’m against it, I will interpellate and I will vote against it when it’s put to a vote,” Escudero said.
“That’s not a reason for me to stop the grinding of the legislative mill in so far as that bill is concerned,” he also said.
“My personal position will not affect any measure I’m against, personally,” he further stressed.