I noticed a slew of anti-Chiz Escudero FB pages that sprouted. In fact, I “liked” the one page that was sent to me.

Please do not interpret my “liking” the page literally. This is a free society. People are just expressing their thoughts about Chiz actions. I do not hate Chiz Escudero. I was just interested what people say about him.

What I found interesting is that, it’s a combination of different colors. Why are Gibo fans angry at him?

As you may recall, Chiz suddenly campaigned for a Noy-Binay tandem. It stunned and angered a lot of people. Some thought they were fooled to believe that they were campaining for a Noy-Mar tandem. Which makes me wonder if his chances for the presidency in 2016 are over.

Here’s an interview I read on Philstar that I’d like to share to you all:

Chiz Escudero on Noy-Bi, parting with Danding & other controversies

By Wilson Lee Flores (The Philippine Star) Updated May 16, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Though not a candidate in the recent , one of the big winners is savvy political campaigner Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, 40, who last year controversially left his Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) party, then early this year controversially campaigned for two top candidates from rival parties — Senator Noynoy Aquino of the Liberal Party and Makati Mayor Jojo Binay of the United Opposition.

A few days after the election, I had lunch with him at Taste of LA resto in Quezon City for an exclusive, no-holds-barred interview. Throughout the lunch, he periodically got text messages on Binay votes from various provinces and he would read them out loud in excitement.

Excerpts from the interview:

PHILIPPINE STAR: What have you been busy with since campaigning for Noynoy and Binay?

CHIZ ESCUDERO: Nothing…just staying home, spending time with my kids, Joaquin Cruz and Maria Cecilia, who are both two and a half years old.

Do you think your TV commercials endorsing Jojo Binay were decisive in helping his stunning upset win over Mar Roxas?

Nakatulong yon (they helped), but you cannot discount the fact that Jojo campaigned real hard nationwide. His victory is mainly due to his own efforts, in the same way Noynoy’s win is mainly due to his own efforts.

When did you start helping the Binay campaign?

We helped him since January.

Why Binay?

Why not him? He’s down-to-earth. In Jojo Binay, what you see is what you get.

What about your helping Noynoy to campaign?

We started supporting both Noynoy and Binay since January.

Why did you choose Noy-Bi as your bets?

Well, my choice was affirmed by the majority of Filipino voters. Why? It’s because I really believe Noynoy and Jojo were the best candidates for the jobs, and I think most Filipinos agreed with me. I’ve said this before, we need the heart of Noynoy and the hands of Binay. Put it in another way, it’s puso (heart) at performance.

Is it true that the Liberal Party’s campaign strategy for Noynoy was said to be palpak (in a shambles), before your team entered the picture?

Hindi naman palpak (It wasn’t a failure). We just assisted in setting up certain aspects of the campaign that were not yet set up.

Is it true you interfered or meddled in Liberal Party plans or strategies?

No, I never interfered with the LP, because I’m not a member of LP. I didn’t help the LP in their campaign, my commitment was only to Noynoy Aquino.

After Holy Week, the news headlines reported that Mar Roxas as LP chairman took your team out of the campaign.

No, Mar Roxas tried to take over the media team of Noynoy, he succeeded for only one day. We were not taken out, nag-stand down kami (what we did was to stand down).

What Binay and your team have done is a stunning upset win…

No, it’s not an upset win from where we’re coming from, because we knew what we were doing and it paid off.

What can you say about the accusation that you did not support Roxas but went all-out for Binay because you see him as a potential rival for the 2016 presidential election?

Mar Roxas is always saying that, not me. Dakdak siya nang dakdak (he keeps complaining endlessly) about the 2016 election, so perhaps it is always him thinking about that, not me, because my support for Noy-Bi has nothing to do with him.

What do you think went wrong with Mar’s campaign?

I’m not privy to Mar’s campaign strategies, so I can’t say what went wrong. Also, there’s a saying that victory has many fathers and defeat is an orphan. If you’re a winner, everything you have done — even the wrong moves — will be praised as correct or smart. But if one loses, all moves are considered wrong. After this election, there will be many post-game analyses, but all that is water under the bridge. To the losers, it is best to move on. To the winners, please serve the people, those who voted for you and those who did not vote for you. Noynoy and Jojo Binay have been elected president and vice president of all Filipino people, including those who did not vote for them and those who criticized them.

Your campaigning for two big winners, do you think it’s partly luck on your part?

I don’t believe too much in luck.

What cabinet posts do you want in a Noynoy Aquino administration?

I will still continue my term as senator up to 2013. I have no plans of joining the Cabinet. And in fairness, Noynoy has not offered a Cabinet position to me.

When Noynoy visited you at your home in October last year, did he tell you his plans as president or his platform to convince you not to run as president?

We didn’t talk about that. There’s mutual respect between us. There was no talk about me withdrawing from a presidential run.

What did you talk about then?

Nagkakamustahan lang at nagkakantiyawan (We were just exchanging pleasantries and kidding each other).

He never asked for your support?

We talked about me helping him.

Are you close friends?

I got him as the godfather of my son Joaquin, who’s nicknamed Quino.

Since you’re close, can you comment on his critics’ claim that Noynoy allegedly spends too much time on the PlayStation?

No, I haven’t ever seen him do that, never in the Senate. When we go out together, I’ve really never seen him play that. And if at all true that he does it, I also do play, but he’s more high-tech with PS and mine is only Gameboy (laughs). There’s nothing wrong with it.

Your reply to critics’ complaint that he’s not very intelligent?

We’ve had a very intelligent president in Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and look what that got us. I’m not saying hindi matalino si Noynoy (Noynoy is not intelligent), but to run this country, you need three very important things. First, common sense, not sobrang talino (not super intelligent); second, your heart should be in the right place, which Noynoy clearly has; third, you must have political will to move this country forward, which I’m confident Noynoy can do, because in the past he hasn’t been given the opportunity to show political will.

Since you’re close to Binay, his critics have come out with his alleged mistress…

Sinabi ko sa kanila, yung kandidato ko may B for babae, ang tanong, yung nag-eendorso ba meron din? (I’ve said this to them, my candidate has another woman, the question is, his endorser, does he also have one?). Seriously, Jojo Binay has confronted the charge, admitted it and did not lie to the people about it. His family is still intact.

What is your comment that Erap Estrada didn’t vote for Binay daw as vice president?

I don’t know about that. Using the words of Jojo Binay, I’m not affected and I didn’t mind. Binay believes in what Erap said, which is that it was an oversight on his part.

Any comments on the new First Sister Kris Aquino?

I’ve known Kris for a long time already, but we’re not close. I only get to see her when I go to ABS-CBN 2 for interviews.

Any suggestions to your friend Noynoy on his possible marriage plans?

That’s a personal matter for him to decide.

What’s your opinion about GMA’s controversial appointment of a new chief justice, despite the fact that Noynoy Aquino is already elected the new president and he disagrees with her midnight appointments?

Although I also disagree with GMA appointing a new chief justice, the Supreme Court has already decided on the issue that she could do so, and that’s final, so you have to follow because the alternative is anarchy.

A lot of Noynoy’s voters expect him to fulfill his campaign promise to prosecute GMA and her accomplices in alleged corruption and other illegal acts. What’s your comment?

Noynoy should see to it that justice be done, but neither should he unduly use the power of the state na gipitin si (to harass) GMA, which would be wrong also. Give her her day in court.

Is it true you’re going to be the next Senate President, while others also eyeing this post include LP’s Franklin Drilon and NP’s Manny Villar?

I don’t know who will be the next Senate president; each of us 23 senators are qualified. There’s one less senator because Noynoy is going to be president. Technically, we’re only 21 senators who can vote for the next Senate president, because Trillanes is still in jail and Ping Lacson is in hiding. Senators must vote in plenary, and even if we’re 21, technically the rules say there should be 13 senators voting for the next Senate President.

You’re a friend of Ping’s. Where is he? Will he return now that Noynoy has won?

I don’t know. I have no communication with him.

With the victory of Noynoy, can Trillanes get out of jail soon?

I don’t know, but I hope so. I hope he can at least be allowed by the court to attend Senate sessions.

What is your comment to the Marcos family’s strong election victories?

Perhaps the Filipino people have already turned the page.

Should history be rewritten about the Marcos era?

I believe hindsight is always 20/20, or if we’re farther from the events, we’d be more objective and more correct in the writing of history.

Both you and Noynoy smoke a lot. Who’s the heavier smoker?

I honestly don’t know. Probably during the campaign he smoked more.

Who’s your idol in politics?

US President Abraham Lincoln, who lost all elections except for one, the presidency. He also lost in business, lost in love, and lost in many things. I admire his perseverance, the pursuit of his dreams. He was a loser in many things, but ‘tang ‘na hayop sa dulo (but amazing, what a fantastic end).

Are those your words of comfort for all the election losers?

No, I don’t want to address that to the losers, they might claim I’m hitting certain persons.

Who’s the first Escudero in politics?

My great-grandfather Salvador “Lolo Badong” Escudero, Sr., who was governor of Sorsogon during the pre-war and the war years. He died at 92, when I was a teenager.

Any advice from him?

We couldn’t understand each other, because he only spoke Spanish and Bicolano, he spoke no English or Tagalog. At that time, I didn’t know Bicolano yet.

So your great-grandfather was a Spanish mestizo?

Yes, but in my case, it has been diluted already after several generations, as you can see (laughs).

What’s your comment on GMA’s plan to be Speaker of the House?

I don’t think she will get it, and I hope she doesn’t, because Noynoy will have a difficult time with his legislative agenda.

Are you now enemies with Mar Roxas?

In his mind, perhaps, but not in my mind.

Did you quarrel before with Mar over other matters?

No, we never quarreled over anything before. I believe it is not good reason to quarrel or be enemies with people who didn’t vote for you. Mar Roxas got 12 million votes, does this mean the rest of the 38 million voters who didn’t vote for him are his enemies now? I don’t think Mar is like that, I don’t see any reason for him to be a foe.

Comments on Manny Villar’s campaign?

Villar ran a very good campaign. Textbook-wise, Villar’s was a perfect election campaign, better than any other candidates’, but what made Noynoy win was destiny. You can plan for it only that much, but it’s destiny that will make one president. It has to belong to you by faith and by fate.

True, look at Noynoy’s dad, Ninoy, who always wanted to be president, but it was his wife Cory who became president. Mar also planned for it, but it became Noynoy, too.

Yes, often those who do not plan for it, like Noynoy, get it.

Gibo Teodoro is very smart and eminently qualified to be president; could he have won if he just cut ties with or denounced GMA?

He couldn’t, because if he broke away, he’d look like a balimbing (disloyal person) and walang utang na loob (no debt of gratitude). His ties to GMA were the kiss of death.

Why is it your fellow Senator Jamby Madrigal lost to even unknowns like Perlas?

(Laughs) Ewan ko, ikaw naman (I’ve no idea, what a question).

If you’re not in politics, what would you want to do?

Teach, which was what I was doing before politics.

How come you can’t do both?

One cannot hold two simultaneous government jobs, and I want to go back to teach at the state-owned UP College of Law.

Why not teach at a private school?

(Laughs) Yes, I’d like to teach at a girls’ school like Assumption.

I teach in one, at La Consolacion College beside Malacañang; it’s a good school.

That’s a good idea… You know, when I was studying at UP Integrated School, the only girls’ schools that would have soirees with us were LaCo and Miriam College, never Assumption…

Do you think Philippine politics really changed with this election?

Yes, voters went for new faces and new names.

But it’s still many of the old political clans mostly…

Old names, but new faces…

Are you still friends with your former NPC partymate Loren Legarda?

I would like to think that we are friends; that I supported someone else shouldn’t be a reason for her to be angry at me.

Are you still friends with Danding Cojuangco after you left NPC last year?

We parted ways still as friends, and I would like to think that he considers me a friend still.

A lot of people, especially the youth, say you look like the music band leader Bamboo…

He’s more handsome than me and he’s mestizo (laughs).

What is your greatest fear?

To be forgotten.

How would you like to be remembered in the future?

I don’t know yet, that’s a lapida (tombstone) question… I would like to be remembered as a father, as a Filipino and as a teacher.

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reynz is one Uragon and a Filipino-American, has many years of public accounting & auditing, broadcast investments, housing tax credits and equity investments as his background. Based in the US, he maintains his personal and humor blog at reyna elena dot com. A graduate of Aquinas U, he went to GWU and Temple U in the United States.