MANILA, Philippines — Alleged attempts to oust Senate President Chiz Escudero are circulating within the halls of the upper chamber, but the senator himself dismissed these as mere rumors.
“Diyos ko, huwag na! Papatulan ko ‘yung mga kwento niyong kalokohan?” Escudero told reporters in an ambush interview on Monday when he was asked to comment on the alleged coup d’etat attempts against his leadership.
(My God, let’s not. Why would I entertain your nonsense stories?)
Although he refused to comment on the allegations, Escudero reiterated that officers of the Senate, including the Senate president, serve at the pleasure of the majority.
“Why will I comment on mere rumors from unknown sources? Suffice it to say [that] the entire Senate leadership serves at the pleasure of the majority,” the Senate leader said in a separate Viber message.
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At the center of these coup rumors were Senators Loren Legarda and Cynthia Villar, both of whom denied their involvement in the alleged ouster plot.
“No idea, we are focused on our work,” said Legarda in a text message to reporters when she was asked about the matter.
Villar, for her part, denied her involvement in the alleged attempt to oust Escudero. She even viewed Escudero’s performance as “okay.”
“No, I’m not involved,” Villar told reporters.
Apart from Legarda and Villar, Sen. Bato dela Rosa also dismissed coup d’etat allegations against Escudero.
“Ginugulo niyo ang buhay namin dito. Tahimik ang buhay namin dito,” said dela Rosa.
(You’re messing up our lives here. We live a peaceful life here.)
Furthermore, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel echoed his colleagues’ denials, saying there’s “no attempt” to oust Escudero as far as he knows.
For his part, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, in a press conference early Monday morning, already denied speculations that he would replace Escudero as Senate president.
The chamber’s second top official, however, confirmed there was an attempt to oust Escudero about two or three weeks ago.
“Hindi ako. Hindi ako, narinig ko merong iba,” said Estrada.
(It’s not me. It’s not me, there’s somebody else)
Despite this, Estrada denied that there was unrest in the upper chamber, noting that the majority of senators were in favor of Escudero’s leadership.
Escudero took his oath as the 25th Senate president of the Philippines in May after the ouster of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.
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