The senatorial candidacy of Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero has been endorsed by the Leyte-based Kontra Brownout, the partylist of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (NASECORE).
In a statement, the group declared its “overwhelming support” for Escudero, the only incumbent governor seeking a Senate seat in next week’s national elections.
“As a pro-electricity consumer advocacy group spanning more than two decades, we believe that Chiz can push for fresh laws and enable reforms that can make a positive impact on millions of consumers nationwide,” said the party-list group’s statement, which was signed by its first nominee, consumer advocate Pete Ilagan.
“As a veteran lawmaker from both the House and the Senate, our country would surely benefit from his wisdom and experience which he also gained from serving as Governor of Sorsogon. The good Governor has improved the lives of his constituents through the speedy implementation of projects on infrastructure, agriculture, social services, tourism, and disaster risk management,” it added.
Kontra Brownout said that if elected to the Senate, Escudero will be able to push for its 20-year-old advocacy of protecting and advancing electricity consumer rights.
A former senator for 12 years, Escudero said he would focus on giving more autonomy to local government units, ensure the judicious and wise utilization of the annual budget, and help transition the pandemic-weary economy to recovery, among others, if elected again.
Aside from Kontra Brownout, Escudero is also backed by 10 other party-list groups, namely Ang Probinsyano, Ang Kabuhayan, Agimat, An Waray, ARISE, BHW, Kusog Bikolano, KAPUSO-PM, Makabayan, and Uswag Ilonggo.
President Duterte has likewise endorsed Escudero’s senatorial bid, saying the governor will play a big role in crafting key pieces of legislation and reforms at a time when the country is besieged with challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor and vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio is personally backing Escudero’s Senate comeback bid.
The tandems of Senator Ping Lacson and Senate President Tito Sotto; Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan; and Senator Manny Pacquiao and Rep. Lito Atienza have adopted Escudero in their senatorial slates.
The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has also included Escudero in its senatorial bets along with five other candidates. Mayors from CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Eastern Samar, who belong to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), are likewise backing Escudero’s Senate return.
The 200,000-strong Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), one of the biggest non-government organizations in the country, and the youth-oriented Nationalist Social-Democratic Society (NSDS) have also endorsed Escudero.