Escudero brushes off comments on his ‘robotic’ tone

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. ARNOLD ALMACEN/Poe-Escudero Media Bureau

SAN PEDRO, Laguna — Vice presidential bet Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday laughed off criticisms that he has been getting from netizens that he was “robotic” or had a “monotonous” manner of speaking.

“Mula’t mula ng pumasok ako sa pulitika, ‘yan naman din ang sinasabi; pero mula’t mula, ito pa rin naman ang narating at naabot ng aking karera sa pulitika,” Escudero said in an interview here.

Asked if he was offended by the bashing on social media, he said any politicians who take offense at criticisms during elections should not be in politics in the first place.

“Lumalabas lang naman ito ‘pag panahon ng eleksyon. ‘Pag walang eleksyon, wala namang mga ganyang uri ng batikos at pagpuna,” he said.

Escudero said he would  rather be criticized over his manner of speaking than be called a thief or stupid.

The vice presidential bet also shrugged off some observations that he did not perform well during the first and only vice presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections.

The debate, attended by all six candidates—Escudero, Senators Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Alan Peter Cayetano, Gringo Honasan, and Antonio Trillanes IV, and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo—was held at the University of Sto. Tomas on Sunday.

READ: Bongbong Marcos bashed at VP debate

“Ang hinahanap naman kasi ng tao e bangayan, tirahan dahil mas exciting naman ‘yun talaga. Talo pa nga yung Bradley at Pacquiao na laban,” he said, referring to world boxing stars Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr.

READ: Pacquiao beats Bradley via unanimous decision in ‘last fight’

“Pero hindi ko talaga style at ugali ang manira ng akalaban. Mula noong tumakbo ako noong 1998, ni minsan hindi ako umapak ng kalaban para lamang umangat; mas nais kong tumayo sa sarili kong lakas at sarili kong nagawa o mga sinasabi,” Escudero added. JE

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