Senate President Francis Escudero speaks during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, May 23, 2024. INQUIRER.net / NOY MORCOSO
MANILA, Philippines—As early as 2022, Senate President Francis Escudero had already thought of becoming the third-highest official in the country.
And he mentioned this to then newly-elected President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Escudero confirmed in an interview at the Senate on Monday.
On May 20, Escudero’s dream to become the Senate president finally came true.
He said Marcos had no prior knowledge about the change in Senate leadership and just learned about it after it happened.
However, days later, Marcos was asked about the leadership change and quoted as saying, “I was basically informed every step of the way.”
“Actually, it was Senator Chiz. The minute he started thinking about it, he already brought it up, and he said, I think I am going to try to be the SP,” Marcos said in a press conference in Brunei on May 29.
Escudero initially laughed when asked about the president’s remark.
“Sa totoo lang, huli kong nabanggit yata yan kay Pangulong Marcos, [ay] noong bagong term nya nung kino-congratulate ko sya kaugnay ng bagay na yan. Pero hindi naman natuloy, pangarap lang yan nung panahon na yun,” he said in an interview at the Senate.
(Actually, I think the last time I mentioned that to President Marcos was during his new term, when I congratulated him. But it didn’t happen; it was just a dream back then.)
The new Senate chief surmised Marcos was referring to the time he mentioned it at the start of the latter’s term.
Escudero maintained that Marcos was not aware of the latest leadership change in the upper chamber.
“No. Nagkita lamang kami sa anniversary ng CHEd (Commission on Higher Education) at hindi yun ang pinag usapan,” he added.
(No. We only met at the anniversary of CHEd (Commission on Higher Education), and that was not what we discussed.)