Former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday expressed his gratitude to his colleagues for their support and trust during his term in the previous Congress.

“Nais ko rin pong magpasalamat sa mga opisyal at kawani ng senado. Karangalan ko po na pagsilbihan kayo at manilbihan kasama kayo nitong nagdaang taon,” he said.

Escudero said it was an honor to serve and work alongside his colleagues in the past year. He added that he serves at the pleasure of the Senate majority and fully understands and respects their decision.

“I hold no grudges. I hold no ill feelings. I congratulate Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on his election as Senate President, and I wish you well Mr. Senate President,” Escudero stated, extending his congratulations to the newly elected Senate leader.

He also said that he is now serving as an ordinary member of the Senate, ready to help and fulfill his duties in any capacity he can, in service to his fellow senators and the institution.

Furthermore, Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III returned to the Senate’s top post, replacing Escudero in a leadership reshuffle.

This is after Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri filed a motion to declare the Senate President position vacant, a move that Escudero accepted.

Zubiri then nominated Sotto to assume the role, with Senator Loren Legarda seconding the nomination. The motion was approved without objection from any of the 24 senators present.

A total of 15 senators backed the leadership change, reflecting a shift in the Senate’s majority consensus.

Moreover, it may be recalled that Escudero was previously linked to the Centerways Construction and Development Inc., owned by Lawrence Lubiano, who has acknowledged donating P30 million to Escudero’s 2022 campaign.

Despite this donation, Escudero emphatically denied any involvement in awarding, bidding, or implementing flood control projects. He labeled the allegations a “demolition job” meant to undermine him and reiterated that he had no role in project execution.