Sen. Francis Joseph G. Escudero, a losing vice presidential candidate in the May 9, 2016 national elections, said yesterday that he comes to the 17th Congress that opens on July 25 as possible Senate Minority Leader but this is not cast in stone.
Escudero said this possible scenario depends on the conduct of the super majority at opening of the 17th Congress which had agreed to install Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, president of President Duterte’s PDP-Laban party, as the new Senate chief and other Senate officials.
He was not categorical in replying to a query during a DWIZ radio interview yesterday on whether or not he would seek the Senate presidency and if he loses in the Senate election of top echelon officials on July 25 he would automatically become the Senate Minority Leader. Yesterday’s interview was the first made by Escudero since the May 9 national elections.
Escudero’s colleague in the Senate minority bloc is Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV who also ran for but lost in the May 9 vice presidential election.
Whether or not Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto will join Escudero and Trillanes in the Senate minority bloc remains uncertain.
He said he was not surprised by the decision of the former President Aquino’s Liberal Party to ally itself with Duterte’s LDP-Laban party.
Escudero, the running mate of Sen. Grace Poe, a defeated presidential bet, said he looks forward to becoming a member of the minority bloc, a position he was in during the Arroyo administration. (Mario B. Casayuran)