The proclamation of Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero's presidential bid had already been widely postponed. Originally scheduled on October 12 to earmark the celebration of his 40th birthday two days before, it was canceled due to the damage wrought by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The date was moved to October 28.
But the anticipated pronouncement did not happen. Late evening of October 27, members of the media received a text message saying that the event originally slated to happen at 5 p.m. at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, where Sen. Escudero finished college, had to be postponed.
Instead, an impromptu press conference was held on the morning of October 28 in Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan, a historic place where Corazon Aquino was sworn in as President in 1986 after the first "People Power" revolution. It was also in Club Filipino where Sen. Noynoy Aquino declared his bid for presidency on August 9.
At 10 a.m., the hall was already filled with Escudero's supporters, most of them wearing red uniforms and carrying placards with the Senator's name.
Relatives and supporters of the Magdalo soldiers, who were jailed after staging the botched Oakwood mutiny last July 2003, were also present. Early this week, the group openly declared their support for Escudero should he seek the presidency.
But instead of a presidential announcement, Escudero announced his resignation from the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), his political party since he entered politics in 1998.
In his seven-minute speech, Escudero said he bolted out of NPC because he wants to make political decisions by himself, without "passing" the decision to someone else.
He said he resigned from his party Tuesday night, informing only party Chair Faustino Dy, and not to other NPC members, including Sen. Loren Legarda, who recently announced her plan to run as vice president.
Neither did Escudero divulge his plan to business tycoon Danding Cojuangco, NPC Chairman Emeritus, who founded the political party in 1992 to support his failed shot at the presidency.
PARTY IS THE PEOPLE. In his speech delivered mainly in Filipino, Escudero gave three reasons for his resignation. First, he said he wants to clear his political affiliations because the Filipino people is the political party of choice.
"Una, sino man po ang nagpaplanong tumakbo bilang pangulo, dapat wala pong partidong kinabibilangan—NPC, LP, NP, Lakas o ano pa man," he said. "Ang dapat na partidong kinabibilangan ng sino mang nagpaplanong tumakbo, dapat po Pilipinas. At lahat ng mga kapartido niya, dapat lahat din ng Pilipino."
Second, he said "no political solution is possible" for a presidential candidate whose "hands and feet are chained" to a political party.
"Para po sa akin, hindi dapat idikta ng isang partido ang gagawin ng sino mang tatakbo. Dahil kung ganoon, paano niya mapapanagot ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno kung ito ay kagrupo o kasama niya?" Escudero said.
Third, he said he wants to be able to decide what political plans to take "by himself." Throughout the open forum that came after his speech, the Senator repeatedly stated that he feels he is already "free."
Escudero also asked his supporters, who were cheering him after every paragraph of his speech, to give him time to decide what to do next.
"Hiling ko po ay panahon para ako ay magpasya—ako bilang ako at hindi diktado o hindi sinasabihan ng sinuman. Nais kong patunayan ito upang sa gayon mapatunayan ko rin sa inyo at sa aking sarili, na ito ay ginagawa ko sa mga tamang rason—hindi para sa anumang interes, hindi para sa kanino mang tao, kundi para sa inyo at para sa sambayanan," he said.
PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) asked Escudero how he would spend his time in the next few days.
"Ilang panahon at oras kasama ang pamilya at kambal ko. Uuwi ako sa Sorsogon para kausapin ang mga kababayan ko, at dun na siguro mag-uundas," he said.
Escudero started his political career as a young campaigner for his father, former Sorsogon Representative Salvador Escudero III. After finishing Law in UP Diliman in 1993, and a masters degree in International and Comparative Law at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D. C. in 1996, he won as a Sorsogon Representative in 1998. His career in the House of Representatives ended in 2007, after which he was elected Senator.
MONEY MATTERS. After Escudero's speech, rumors were robust that he resigned from NPC because of money.
An NPC member, who asked not to be identified, said Danding Cojuangco will only provide up to P200 million for Escudero's presidential campaign. Campaign analysts say a nationwide campaign needs at least P2 billion funding to succeed.
Another NPC member has put forth claims that Danding is leaning over to his nephew Sen. Noynoy Aquino's side.
There were also rumors that Escudero quit NPC because Cojuangco was allegedly fielding his money to other presidential aspirants, like Sen. Manny Villar, and his nephews Noynoy and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
A top official of a former senatorial candidate told PEP that business tycoons usually fund the campaign of not one but several candidates for top positions in the government, "just to be sure."
"Pero siyempre mas malaki dun sa manok nila," the source added.
FALSE CLAIMS. But the father of Escudero, who was also present at the press conference, said the allegations were "mere speculation."
Chiz Escudero also denied that money was the reason for his resignation, saying he resigned out of "principle."
"Wala ring katotohanan na may kaugnayan sa pondo dahil marunong akong mabuhay at mamuhay na simple. Pangalawa, hindi naman akin ano man meron siya [Danding] para angkinin ko. Nagpaalam ako nang maayos. Prinsipyo ang tanging dahilan," Escudero said in an interview with ABS-CBN's TV Patrol World Wednesday night.
Regarding his next plans, Escudero hinted at the presscon that he is also willing to even halt running in any position in the 2010 elections.
"Bukas lahat ng aking loob sa ngayon, kabilang ang hindi paglahok kung saka-sakali," he said. Escudero's term in the Senate will end in 2013.
But on the possibility that Escudero continues his presidential bid, will he run without a running mate and a senatorial slate, since he is now independent?
Escudero's campaign manager, Lito Banayo, told PEP, "Hindi naman siguro."