Team Chiz

Bibilib ka talaga kay Sen. Chiz Escudero, sunud-sunod ang natatanggap
na parangal, at take note, hindi lang dito sa atin kundi sa ibang bansa
rin. Imagine, kabilang siya sa mga Young Global Leaders para sa taong
2008. Kasama ang bagets na senador sa 24 young achievers mula sa South
Asia, ayon sa ipinalabas na listahan ng World Economic Forum sa Geneva,
Switzerland.

Ang karangalang ito ay taunang ibinibigay ng World
Economic Forum bilang pagkilala at pagtaguyod sa mga kabataang
nangunguna sa kanilang napiling propesyon, pati na ang kanilang
napangatawanang dedikasyon sa lipunan at pangakong maging matibay na
haligi sa kinabukasan.

Patunay ito na seryoso siya bilang isa sa
mga pinakabatang senador ng bansa. Pagkilala rin ang karangalang ito sa
kakayahan ng kabataan na maging gabay ng napapanahong pagbabago sa
mundo.

Kaya nga ngayon pa lang ay malakas na ang bulung-bulungan
na siya ang mapipiling standard bearer sa presidential election na
gaganapin sa 2010 na hindi naman niya dini-deny na pangarap niya noon
pang bata pa lang siya.

"Hindi masama ang magkaroon ng ganitong
pangarap," sagot ni Sen. Chiz sa interview ng Playboy Philippines
kamakailan. Siya ang bukod tanging napiling male interviewee sa maiden
issue ng Philippine edition ng sikat na international magazine. "At
kung pangarap ang pag-uusapan, dapat pangarapin na marating ang
pinakamataas, dahil nga pangarap ito. Ang katotohanan ay ibang usapan. "

Sa
ngayon, hindi pangarap ang sunud-sunod na pagkilalang tinatanggap ni
Escudero sa kanyang unang taon sa Senado, matapos ang siyam na taon
bilang kinatawan ng Sorsogon sa Lower House ng Congress. Nauna na ang
mapabilang siya sa mga Asian Idols kamakailan lang, na sinundan nitong
parangal na "global idol" ng World Economic Forum.

WE need a leader who has a vision for the nation like Chiz. Yes, it sounds ideal but I am still confident that this archipelago is still far from a wasteland because of him. Filipino voters will now be more intelligent and vigilant this time, and can no longer get fooled by the stupendous antics and nonsense fanfares of the preening lady in Malacanang — ambitious yet unqualified.

The youth sector is now becoming more involved with the affairs of the society because of Chiz. Chiz is undoubtedly now the man, (or to include other noble men and women aspirants) one of the very few “real” candidates who will ignite this uprising, movement or revolution in Philippine politics –crisp and fresh– with a definitive thrust enriched with unwavering enthusiasm to be the voice of Filipinos in the Senate.

I’m praying Chiz will not fail us in the coming years (more importantly) and stay consistent with his dreams for this side of the planet as he prepares his way to the presidency when that time comes.

Says the NBN deal is just one among the projects entered into with ZTE

With the government pronouncing cancellation of the controversial NBN deal, Senator Chiz Escudero wants to know the specifics of the said cancellation since the ZTE deal has 5 investment packages in it and the NBN deal is just one among them.

Escudero said the government should be able to clarify whether the entire deal was cancelled or just the NBN alone which, Escudero added is still questionable as the government has not yet produced any proof or papers that would show the cancellation.

In a memorandum of understanding signed by Trade Secretary Peter Favila, together with ZTE President Yu Yong and witnessed by then Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor and ZTE Chairman Hou Weigui, the Philippines entered into a US$4 billion loan agreement with ZTE. The NBN project was pegged at US$329 million.

Under the said agreement, ZTE will provide the financial and technical services for five investment projects namely: (1) nationwide government broadband communication infrastructure project, which is the now contested NBN deal (2) establishment of information technology school and training center, (3) exploration, development and operation of mining areas in North Davao, (4) exploration, development and operation of mining areas in Diwalwal and (5) establishment of a special economic zone in the Davao area.

Escudero said Favila entered into an onerous deal for and in behalf of the Philippine Government and the ZTE International, which, among others, practically bound the country to award the NBN project and other deals and contracts to ZTE.

With Favila’s confirmation that only NBN deal was cancelled, the senator said there is more reason for the Senate to scrutinize the other parts of the ZTE deal. "ZTE officials, as Joey De Venecia testified, already gave "advances" to our erring government officials for the NBN project alone, if this is the kind of dealing that ZTE conducts business, then we can likely look at more advances from other programs included in the particular package signed by Favila".

Escudero is wary that the four remaining projects may be used to compensate to what will be lost or what was lost from the NBN dealing. "Baka kung ano ang naluging kickbacks ng mga operators ng gobyerno, ditto bawiin sa apat pang natitirang projects".

He said that the other four remaining ZTE projects should be unilaterally cancelled and if the government still desires to go on with these, ZTE should already put their hands off from the programs.

"The government should be protecting the interest of the state and not of the external party. The whole ZTE package should be cancelled totally. The administration cannot hem and haw when it comes to fulfilling its duty and commitment to the Filipino people rather than upholding its commitment to foreign parties".

An Anti-Prostitution Bill which decriminalizes prostitution is now being pushed at the Senate which has Senator Chiz Escudero as the lead defender having the bill tackled before the Justice and Human Rights Committee of which he chairs. Senate Bill Number 2006 (SBN 2006) an act amending article 341 of the Revised Penal Code, removes criminal liability from the women and instead consider them the victims in the said situation. Escudero is optimistic that the bill will get the approval of his colleagues in the Upper Chamber as it is now in the period of interpellation, which the senator said he is ready to defend at the plenary. “We need to pass this bill into law to accord greater protection to our women and children who are usually the victims in this system”. Escudero said in the existing antiquated law on prostitution, women are usually considered criminals thus are at the receiving end of the penal code. “Prostitution is included in the provision of anti-vagrancy law. Since prostitution is difficult to prove and cannot really be used to effect arbitrary arrests, authorities resort to vagrancy charges. “Ang madalas nilang magamit, bagansya lamang. Na wala kang makitang mapaghahanapbuhayan, na wala kang ginagawa kundi nakatayo sa isang kanto o establisimyento. Wala ka halos dapat patunayan kaya’t napakadaling idemanda at i-charge ang isang tao at babae at damputin at arestuhin sa kaso ng bagansya. Ang tanong namin dito, maliban sa ito ay tumutulong sa pag-aabuso ng ating kapulisan sa kababaihan, ito ay anti-poor at kontra mahirap dahil papaano naman nalagay sa batas natin na krimen na mawalan ng trabaho? Huhulihin ka ng pulis pag wala kang trabaho. Aba’y teka muna ginagawa ba ng pamahalaan ang kanyang trabaho na magbigay ng trabaho sa kanyang mga kababayan?” To address arbitrary arrests on vagrancy charges, which commonly result to sexual exploitation or monetary pay off to avoid jail, Escudero had moved and got the approval of the Senate to repeal the ant-vagrancy law but the anti-prostitution law still remains which is now being tackled in the Senate. Government is to be blamed for the proliferation of prostitution in the country because it failed to deliver basic services to the people like generating jobs and opportunities where each Filipino can earn a decent living, Escudero said. “Huhulihin ka ng pulis pag wala kang trabaho. Aba’y teka muna ginagawa ba ng pamahalaan ang kanyang trabaho na magbigay ng trabaho sa kanyang mga kababayan?. With SBN 2066, criminally liability already lies with the pimp and the customer. The penalty of reclusion temporal in its medium and maximum periods shall be imposed. Escudero said the bill does not only protect women but it also cuts across gender and age as it considers anyone who receive the same treatment in the system. As the bill has already passed at the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee, and is already in the plenary for debate, the version of the Lower House is needed to immediately pass this piece of legislation.

For those who are interested, wondering or curious to know about what the Senate committees do, the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means today launched each of its on line websites with the purview of providing quick and easy access to information from the two committees.

Senator Chiz Escudero, Chairman of both committees said going on line is one of the public’s quickest and unhampered ways of getting in touch with the committee and its members. At the same time, it will also serve as a venue for the public to make their feedbacks, comments and views known to the committee.

To access the website for the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, just type www.chizescudero.com/senatejusticeandhumanrights. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means website on the other hand is www.chizescudero.com/senatewaysandmeans.

The websites contain what the committee does, what it is doing, what reports have been released, who sits on the committee, who has spoken before the committee and more ways on how to contact the committees.

Escudero said with the websites now online, collecting and exchanging information between the public and the senate is now just a click away. All and any interested persons, organizations and bodies are invited to visit the sites and submit their views on matters related to both committees. The senator said each site has a moderator who maintains and updates the data and any issues thrown back to the committee via the websites and all other contact numbers will be attended to.

Biography

Since he became a lawmaker at a young age of 28, his agenda has always been focused on education, livelihood, affordable housing and accessible health service for the masses; progressive, safe and peaceful communities; competent, trustworthy and service-oriented local and national government.

It has also been his intention to give voice to the unheard Filipinos in the Senate in a fight for what is right and always against what is wrong. Now that he was elected to national office and given with enough trust by electing him as number 2 senator in the May 2007 elections even as a neophyte, he will be forever grateful and honored to stand at the pulpit always on the people’s behalf.

Francis Joseph Guevara Escudero or Chiz was born on October 10, 1969 to former Agriculture Secretary and now Representative of the First District of Sorsogon Salvador ‘Sonny’ H. Escudero III and educator Evelina B. Guevara.

Escudero went to the University of the Philippines Integrated School for both his Elementary and Secondary Education, and graduated in 1981 and 1985 respectively. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1989 and in law at the same university’s College of Law in 1993. He later went to Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. for his master’s degree in international and comparative law, graduating in 1996.

He served his first term in the 11th Congress in 1998 and Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Senior Deputy Majority Leader in the 12th Congress in 2001 and in the 13th Congress as House Minority Floor Leader.

Now that he is in the Senate, he chairs the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Cool and confident, quick with his words, and unwavering in his commitments and conviction, Chiz at 37, is in his prime. If his political mentors rewarded him with a smile and a pat on the back for what he accomplished as a young man of 28, they now regard him with respect and value his professional advice.

Married to Christine Elizabeth R. Flores, they are blessed with their first-born, twins Maria Cecilia and Joaquin Cruz.   

During his three terms at the House of Representatives, three of his bills became into law:

• HB 6002 - An Act to Regulate the Practice of Veterinary Medicine in the Philippines, Repealing for the Purpose Republic Act 382 and for other purposes R.A. 9268 - THE PHILIPPINE VETERINARY MEDICINE ACT OF 2004
• HB 10732 - An Act Rationalizing the Organizational and Management Structure of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, and Renaming it as the Department of Education, and for other purposes. R.A. 9155 - GOVERNANCE OF BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2001
• HB 3046 - An Act Institutionalizing Early Childhood Development and Education Centers for Children Aged Zero to Five, Creating the Implementing Machinery thereof, providing guidelines, incentives, government financial support and technical assistance, and for other purposes. R.A. 8980 - The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act of 2000

Escudero authored 34 bills of national application, 31 bills of local application and 15 resolutions in the House of Representatives.