‘Is that bad news?’ Escudero asks; Poe laments decision

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, senator Loren Legarda, former MTRCB chairperson Grace Poe-Llamanzares. INQUIRER/INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines –  “Is that  bad news?” was how Senator Francis  “Chiz” Escudero commented  in jest  when asked to react on the  decision of the United  Nationalist Alliance  (UNA) to drop him and two other candidates from its slate.

While he said it was a big “loss” for him, Escudero said  he had no choice but to respect UNA’s decision.

“Karapatan nila yun, rerespetuhin ko ano man ang desisyon meron sila subalit sa panig at parte ko bagaman malaking kawalan yun, wala akong magagawa kung yun ang nais nilang gawin,” Escudero said in an interview on radio Thursday, shortly after UNA made the announcement.

“Basta ako ipapagatuloy lang namin ang klase at uri ng pangangampanya na paniniwala namin ay dapat at napapanahon.”

“Hindi naman pwedeng diktahan ka sa bawat at hindi mo pwedeng gawin at sabihin sa kampanyahan pa lamang baka lalo na pag nasa pwesto ka na,”  Escudero added.

And when  the  anchor  said  they  would  move on to a better topic, the senator  commented in jest, “Ah bad news ba yun?”

Former MTRCB chairperson Grace  Poe-Llamanzares, in a separate  interview, expressed sadness over UNA’s decision although she insisted that  no condition was imposed on  her when she accepted  UNA’s invitation to  be part of its senatorial ticket.

“Syempre nakakalungkot kasi yung pagkaimbita naming sa akin o pagka-adopt naman sa akin sa UNA wala namang kondisyon sa pagkakatanda ko,” Llamanzares said.

She said it was former President Joseph Estrada, who was close to  her  late father Fernando Poe Jr, who had offered to help her in the campaign.

“Hindi naman nila ako sinabihan na ia-adopt ka namin pero kailangang magkampanya ka. Wala naman ganun,” she said.

Senator Loren Legarda, who was also  dropped  by UNA, has yet to comment.

Escudero, Poe and Legarda are all running under the administration’s Team Pnoy.