This just came in: Former Sorsogon Governor and current Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero is the new Senate President!

The ascendancy of Chiz to the Presidential seat in the Senate came after Senate President Miguel Zubiri, who also claims to have Bicolano roots, resigned from his post alleging political pressures today, May 20, 2024. Zubiri had been threatened with ouster plots since heading the Senate in July 2022.

The change in leadership happened Monday after several talks of an ouster plot against Zubiri since heading the Senate in July 2022. The first was in March 2023 allegedly because of the low output of the chamber under his watch and his stand on Charter change (Cha-cha). Three months later, in June 2023, another ouster plot and the latest was this year which was confirmed by Senator Imee Marcos. The pressure for the ouster plots are allegedly coming from outside the Senate.

Immediately after Zubiri’s resignation, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, nominated Escudero. This was uncontested so Escudero won by acclamation.

Escudero earlier served as a Congressman in 1998 and rose to prominence by leading the impeachment drive against then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Because of his charisma and eloquence, he won a senate seat in 2007. In 2019, he was elected Governor of Sorsogon where he served one term. In 2022, he again returned to the Senate with a fresh mandate.

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