'NOT AT THE COST OF LOSING MY SOUL'

By Thea Alberto, Yahoo! Southeast Asia Tuesday November 24, 2009 12:41 pm PHT

Saying he would rather keep his soul than seek presidency, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero announced on Tuesday (November 24) he will no longer run for President in the 2010 elections.


“I’ve always said that for me, it’s the presidency but not at all cost,” he said at a press conference in Club Filipino.

“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,” he added.

This announcement came as a surprise, amid reports he was set to run for vice president as an independent candidate.

Last October, Escudero defected from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, saying he wanted to decide without the influence of any political party.

“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. [I have decided not to run for president in the upcoming elections. I have decided that even if I’m no longer a candidate, I can still participate as a Filipino and as an ordinary voter.],” Escudero said..

Escudero has not named the presidential candidate he would likely support, but in an earlier interview with Yahoo! Southeast Asia, the Senator noted his deep friendship with Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who is running for president in 2010.

“Noynoy is my kumpare. We respect each other’s position,” Escudero said, adding that Aquino is one of his twins’ godparents.

At the same time, Escudero is known as one of Estrada’s earlier choices as running mate.

Escudero was among the faces of the 2004 presidential campaign of Estrada’s best friend, Fernando Poe Jr.

Escudero, who has topped some presidential election surveys, thanked his supporters.

“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, [I would like to use this opportunity to thank everyone who believed and supported me, despite the lack of funds.],” he said.

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i love Chiz more for doing this.