Sen. Francis Escudero INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The supporters of presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe criticized her tandem partner, Senator Francis Escudero, for vacationing in Japan during the Christmas holidays at the height of the disqualification cases against her.
According to the Philippine Crusaders for Justice, they don’t believe that Escudero sympathized with Poe in her fight aganist the disqualification cases.
They found out that Poe went to Hong Kong recently to campaign with the Overseas Filipino Workers and Escudero wasn’t with her. It can’t be denied that there’s a big voters’ turnout among OFWs in Hong Kong that’s why it’s important if the tandem is there.
“That’s how Senator Escudero is because he has a new party to lean on that’s why he’s happy in leaving Senator Poe. It’s just but right we call him Ahascudero! (Snake-scudero) Boy Laglag! Boy Abandon! Ngayon Boy Bakasyonista! (Now it’s Boy On Vacation!)” says Kim Garcia, spokesperson of PCJ.
Recently, PCJ held a rally at the Supreme Court in support of Poe in her plea for help in the high court but at the same time the group criticized Escudero for reportedly abandoning Poe at the height of controversies against her. There were also reports that Escudero had held talks with Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is also gunning for the presidency.
The group said Escudero should be blamed for the difficulties that Poe has been experiencing because he was the one who pushed for Poe to run for President and Escudero took the role of campaign strategist and legal adviser.
The group emphasized that Escudero got rid of the most formidable opponent in the Vice Presidential race when Poe decided to run for President. Poe was being woed by several presidentiables to be their running mate because it’s a sure win for her in the recent surveys.
It can be recalled also that Escudero was the one behind the Noy-Bi 2010 or Aquino-Binay tandem in the 2010 elections even if then Senator Benigno Aquino III’s running mate was Mar Roxas.
Representative Edgar Erice, head of Liberal Party’s political affairs, said even they at the party have hunches that there are sectors laying the groundwork for Binay-Escudero 2016.
This is due to the fact that Escudero never blamed Binay’s camp as behind the disqualification cases against Poe even though Representative Toby Tiangco is an ally of Binay. Tiangco was the one who floated the problems in citizenship and residency of Poe.
Escudero blamed the Liberal Party.