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Friday • July 30, 2010
Senator aims to be youngest Philippine president
February 23, 2009
By Rosemarie Francisco and Manny Mogato
MANILA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - He is not old enough yet to run for president under Philippines' laws, but Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero will be by next year, when he hopes to become the country's youngest-ever leader.
Escudero, who turns 40 in October, is frequently compared with U.S. President Barack Obama due to his charisma and eloquence and has consistently ranked among the top 5 in surveys of candidates for 2010 presidential polls in the Philippines.
The first time senator, a lawyer, says he is flattered by the Obama comparison but isn't ready to announce his candidacy yet.
"I am not saying I won't, I'm not saying I will. All I am saying is that the decision will have to made when I'm fully qualified," Escudero said in an interview on Monday at his home in a Manila suburb, while his one-year-old twins played about him.
"It would be historic, if at all, not only on the part of our country, not only on the part of our generation, but also in so far as I am concerned," he said.
Elections are still some 16 months away, but Manila's political class is already readying for the polls, with a clutch of leading political figures, mostly senators, considering their chances.
Escudero, who got his nickname from the local equivalent of the Cheetos snack food, estimates slightly more than 50 percent of the country's voting population by 2010 would be 40 years old and below, his own definition of young voters.
"I would want to see a young leader in 2010. Someone that embodies the generation to which the majority of Filipinos belong to right now," he said.
MANILA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - He is not old enough yet to run for president under Philippines' laws, but Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero will be by next year, when he hopes to become the country's youngest-ever leader.
Escudero, who turns 40 in October, is frequently compared with U.S. President Barack Obama due to his charisma and eloquence and has consistently ranked among the top 5 in surveys of candidates for 2010 presidential polls in the Philippines.
The first time senator, a lawyer, says he is flattered by the Obama comparison but isn't ready to announce his candidacy yet.
"I am not saying I won't, I'm not saying I will. All I am saying is that the decision will have to made when I'm fully qualified," Escudero said in an interview on Monday at his home in a Manila suburb, while his one-year-old twins played about him.
"It would be historic, if at all, not only on the part of our country, not only on the part of our generation, but also in so far as I am concerned," he said.
Elections are still some 16 months away, but Manila's political class is already readying for the polls, with a clutch of leading political figures, mostly senators, considering their chances.
Escudero, who got his nickname from the local equivalent of the Cheetos snack food, estimates slightly more than 50 percent of the country's voting population by 2010 would be 40 years old and below, his own definition of young voters.
"I would want to see a young leader in 2010. Someone that embodies the generation to which the majority of Filipinos belong to right now," he said.
Latest Articles
- November 18, 2009 : Chiz : Put an end to labor Contractualization
- October 29, 2009 : Chiz: Money was never an issue
- October 28, 2009 : Escudero announces decision to leave NPC
- October 28, 2009 : Chiz resigns from NPC; defers announcement of 2010 plans
- October 28, 2009 : Chiz pushes amnesty for jailed Madalo officers
Related Articles
- October 29, 2009 : Chiz: Money was never an issue
- October 28, 2009 : Chiz resigns from NPC; defers announcement of 2010 plans
- October 28, 2009 : Chiz pushes amnesty for jailed Madalo officers
- October 24, 2009 : Chiz to cause-oriented groups: Educate young voters in 2010
- October 23, 2009 : Chiz to Comelec: Extend registration deadline to accomodate typhoon victims
