Press Release
March 9, 2009

CHIZ: I WILL REMAIN WITH THE OPPOSITION

Senator Chiz Escudero on Monday said he will remain with the opposition no matter what the speculations are regarding political alignments in the 2010 elections.

In a statement from Australia, where he is on a personal visit from March 9-11, the senator pointed out that he has yet to "fully comply with the legal requirements of running for president."

"Let's just see what happens on Oct. 10, my birthday, when I turn 40," said Escudero, who has been a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) since he joined politics in 1998 as congressman representing the first district of Sorsogon.

While in Congress, he was with the minority bloc which spearheaded the impeachment campaign against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He ran for the Senate in 1997 under the banner of the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition.

"There are a lot more things that we need to concern ourselves with in these difficult times. The time for politicking will come, but not yet," he pointed out.

Escudero was referring to reports in Manila about the administration party, which has a working coalition with the NPC in the lower house, adopting him as its standard bearer in the May 2010 presidential elections.

"Hindi ko alam at hindi pinag-uusapan yan sa ngayon, Chiz ang pangalan ko at tsismis lang yan at walang katotohanan" Escudero was quoted.

Earlier on, the opposition senator denied rumors that he had met up with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during a trip in Washington in early February to discuss a possible alliance in the coming polls.

During his four-day trip to Australia under the Special Visits Program, Escudero is expected to meet with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other senior Australian government officials including the human rights commissioner and the labor and immigration chiefs.

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