Senate President Chiz Escudero Poised to Retain Leadership
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is set to keep his position as the Senate’s leader in the 20th Congress, with at least 13 out of 24 senators reportedly ready to back him.
Senator Joel Villanueva shared this update during a press briefing on Monday, revealing that he personally consulted his fellow senators to understand their stance. “If the elections were held today, we already know — and I think your information is as good as mine — that Senate President Chiz Escudero will be retained as our Senate president,” Villanueva said.
Support for Escudero Grows Within Senate
Villanueva expressed his strong support for Escudero, emphasizing the Senate’s achievements under his leadership and the respect he commands among colleagues. “For me, the decision was easy because we are result-oriented. At the end of the day, you look at the accomplishments of the Senate during his tenure, and there are many measures passed, and at the same time, the respect he gives to our senators,” he noted.
He added that at least 13 senators have firmly expressed their support for Escudero, giving him confidence in the Senate President’s chances of retaining his position. “I am confident because I have talked to at least a majority of the senators, so I can say that. But of course, every day is another day, I cannot say if their votes would change. But as far as I am concerned, I have already talked to 13 of them,” Villanueva said.
Additional Endorsements and Senate Dynamics
Meanwhile, Senator Erwin Tulfo revealed in a separate press conference that he and his brother, Senator Raffy Tulfo, are among the group supporting Escudero. “We’re the majority, so we’ll vote for the majority. Because the majority usually gets a directive to help the administration. So there’s no longer opposing views, right? We’re majority. I am with Alyansa so it’s kind of expected that I’ll be with the majority,” he explained.
He further noted, “A few days ago there’s already a number — I think 13. I guess we’re already included in the 13 or more than 13.”
Reports from inside the Senate indicate that aside from Escudero, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Imee Marcos are also vying for the Senate presidency in the upcoming Congress.
The bloc aligned with former President Duterte, which includes Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go, confirmed that both Escudero and Sotto have sought their support. However, Sotto mentioned earlier that he would accept the minority leader role if he does not win the Senate presidency.
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