Drilon draws support from Escudero; Estrada ready for Senate shake-up

Senator Franklin Drilon. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Francis Escudero on Tuesday said he has given his support for Senator Franklin Drilon if the latter decides to run for Senate president when the next Congress opens in July.

“I’m with the LP (Liberal Party) coalition. I will support the candidate of the LP coalition. If that’s Senator Drilon, then yes,” Escudero told reporters in an interview at the Senate.

He said he and Drilon had talked and he assured him of his support if he runs for Senate president.

“I told him if he will run he has my support,” said Escudero.

While he ran under the LP-led coalition “Team PNoy” during the last elections, the senator pointed out that he remains independent and his support for Drilon, who acted as campaign manager of the team, was no pay-off.

“I’m an independent but I won together with the LP coalition. I intend to remain with the LP coalition,” said Escudero.

Being part of the coalition, he said, did not mean that he was duty-bound to support Drilon’s bid for Senate presidency. “Hindi naman obligado…hindi rin bayad utang na loob or anything. I just told him he has my support if he runs,” he further said.

Meanwhile, Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada shrugged off Drilon’s reported moves to get the support of fellow senators as he expressed readiness for any impending change of leadership in the Senate.

“We can’t stop him from courting the newly elected senators and the incumbent senators [because they have the numbers] to become the new majority,” Estrada said in a separate interview.