Opposition senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday bared his resignation from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) even as he asked for more time to decide on his plans for the 2010 polls.
The 40-year old maverick politician, who has been a member of NPC since 1998, cited three reasons for the surprise announcement before a jampacked crowd of allies and supporters at the Club Filipino in Greenhills.
“Sa aking paniniwala, sinuman pong nagpaplano tumakbo bilang pangulo ng bansa, wala dapat partidong kinabibilangan. Ang partido lamang dapat niya ay Pilipinas at ang kanyang mg kapartido ay lahat ng Pilipino,” Escudero said in a speech.
He pointed out only a only a united citizenry, and not a single party or group, can solve the many deep-seated problems of the country.
Escudero, the youngest among the presidential frontrunners, also said that political parties have become obstacles to genuine and meaningful change.
“Para po sa akin, hindi dapat idikta ng isang partido ang gagawin ng sinumang tatakbo. Dahil kung ganoon, papaano niya mapapanagot ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno kung ito ay kagrupo o kasama niya?” he said.
“Papaano niya i-aabolish ang pork barrel at i-institute ang line item budgeting kung kasama niya ay puro kongresista at puro senador,” Escudero asked.
The Bicol lawmaker also deferred announcement of his plans for the 2010 elections, saying that he needed more time to decide for himself what to do next now that he is his own man.
