An honorable decision

Ellen Tordesillas

‘Escudero is out of the presidential race. But he saved his soul.’

 

SORSOGON Rep. Salvador "Sonny" Escudero said when he talked with his senator-son Chiz the first hour of Tuesday, he was not yet decided on his political plans.

As he was going out of the church yesterday morning, "6:47 a.m., to be exact", he got a text from Chiz: "Tatay, I will not run."

Congressman Escudero said he is happy with his son’s decision. He believes that the political system in the country is not yet ready for an independent candidate for president.

"He is taking the honorable path and I’m proud of him," he said.

A source close to Escudero said last week, a businessman close to the Arroyos offered him P100 million campaign assistance in exchange for voting for Justice Agnes Devanadera to bejustice of the Supreme Court.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice, Escudero is the representative to the Judicial and Bar Council that screens nominees for Supreme Court justice. The source said that money could have been a substantial contribution to his campaign fund. But he turned it down.

As he said in his speech yesterday when he announced he was not running for any elective office in the 2010 elections: "I’ve always said that for me, it’s the presidency but not at all cost. Not at the cost of losing my soul, not at the cost of losing myself, not at the cost by being eaten up by the system and the process and certainly not at the cost of not being able to do the things that I was and set out to do."

Escudero was the choice of the Magdalo group for president. With his withdrawal from the race, whom will the Magdalo, with 40,000 members all over the country support?

Magdalo spokesman Ashley Acedillo, who is running as representative in Cebu, said there would be a new consultation among the members. In last October’s voting, Escudero was number one, Sen. Noynoy Aquino was the second choice. Others in the list were Sen. Manny Villar and former president Joseph Estrada.

In a conversation days after he left his party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition last month, Escudero said, "I did not plan to take this path because I have always been a party man. I was led to this path, and to tell you the truth, I feel good."

Escudero is out of the presidential race. But he saved his soul.

Following is his speech yesterday:

"Simula noong umalis ako sa NPC noong ika-28 ng Oktubre, ginawa ko yun upang malaya kong makita at matanaw ang dapat kong gawin kaugnay ng 2010 elections.

"Ginawa ko ‘yun upang hindi nakapiring at hindi nakatali ang aking mga mata’t mga kamay para malaman kung ano ang dapat kong magawa sa ating sambayanan sa darating na panahon. Mula sa aking Malaya na pagkakatayo, tunay namang mas nakita ko ang dapat nating gawin bilang isang bansa at bilang isang lahi. Kabilang na ang pag-amin at pag-ako ng aniuman kakayanan o kawalan nito kaugnay sa mga mithiin, pangarap at layunin natin para sa ating bansa.

"Nitong mga nagdaang araw, nagnilay-nilay ako, kumausap sa maraming malalapit na kaibigan at gayundin pamilya, kinausap ang ilan sa ating mga kababayan at pinagpasyahan ang aking papel na gagampanan sa darating na halalan.

"Akala ko magiging madaling desisyon pero hindi pala. Akala ko napakadali ang magiging pasya pero hindi pala. I’ve always said that for me, it’s the presidency but not at all cost. Not at the cost of losing my soul, not at the cost of losing myself, not at the cost by being eaten up by the system and the process and certainly not at the cost of not being able to do the things that I was and set out to do.

"Para sa akin panguluhan lamang ang aking nasa isip subalit hindi ko ito hahanapin at kukunin kung sa proseso ng pagkuha nito mawawala po ang aking sarili’t kaluluwa

"Hindi ko rin kayang gawin ang dapat at gusto kong gawin at kung makakain lamang ako ng sistema. Para sa akin, hamon itong dapat tingnan ng lahat na ng unang nagdeklara, sila ba’y nakain na ng sistema o hindi pa, sa daan tungo sa panguluhan. Sila ba ay kaya pa ring gawin ang lahat ng pinangako sa atin na magaganda at matatamis habang nangangampanya.

"Hindi ko makokonsensyang sabihin ‘yan kung hindi ko rin lang kayang gawin kung ako ay pagtitiwalaan niyo. Dahil po sa lahat ng nabanggit ko, akala ko’y madali pero hindi.

"Napagpasyahan ko, na hindi tumakbo bilang pangulo sa darating na halalan. Napagpasyahan ko na hindi man bilang kandidato, ako’y may papel na pwedeng gampanan bilang Pilipino at ordinaryong botante sa panahong ito.

"Napagpasyahan ko na hindi lang ngayon ang panahon para matupad ang pinanghahawakan kong pangarap at layunin kong panguluhan nang hindi nakatali. Patuloy kang panghahawakan ang pangarap at pangakong iyan. Hindi man ngayon kundi sa darating na panahon.

"Nais kong gamitin ang pagkakataong ito para magpasalamat sa lahat nang mga naniwala at nagtiwala; sa lahat ng gumalaw at kumilos maski na walang salapi o pera; sa lahat ng nagsalita at naniwala, sumigaw at nakiisa sa aking pangarap ng walang katumbas at kapalit.

"Kaninang umaga, bago ako umalis binisita ko yung dalawang anak ko na kambal at yun lang ang nagbigay sa akin ng lakas humarap sa inyo ngayon dahil maraming nagsasabing kung hindi ka rin lang naman tatakbo Chiz bakit kapa magpepress-con? Mag press release ka na lamang. Buong tapang at buo ang loob kong nais sabihin ito sa harap ninyo. Dahil hindi ko kinakahiya anumang salitang binigkas ko ngayon."