Bato praises Chiz to high heavens

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday delivered a heartfelt manifestation of support for Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, formally backing his leadership as the newly elected Senate president of the 20th Congress.

In a speech filled with emotion and admiration, Dela Rosa painted a portrait of Escudero as a steady, compassionate leader — one who has not only safeguarded the institution of the Senate but who has also redefined leadership through humility and empathy.

“As your Battorney, it is my honor to express my profound support for one of the sharpest, most intelligent senators I have ever had the privilege of working with — a real attorney with a heart,” Dela Rosa said before the Senate plenary, to supportive murmurs from his colleagues.

Escudero, who previously held the post during the 19th Congress, was formally nominated and subsequently re-elected, 19-5, with overwhelming support from his peers.

Dela Rosa’s manifestation served as the seconding motion to the nomination, but it quickly evolved into a powerful endorsement of Escudero’s leadership style.

“I admit that I started as a reluctant supporter... But in the last few months of the 19th Congress, he showed us how his steady hand and calm voice shielded the Senate from anything that gets in the way of our sworn duty to the people,” Dela Rosa confessed, referencing the turbulent political landscape leading to Escudero’s rise.

He went on to note the symbolic alignment between Escudero’s name and his role in the chamber.

“Whether or not it is a coincidence that Escudero means shield-bearer, I do not know. But of this I am sure: Senator Chiz has more than lived up to his name,” he said.

Dela Rosa, a former police chief turned legislator, is known for his candidness and often fiery demeanor. But in this address, he showed a more reflective side — at one point describing Escudero’s leadership as “almost transcendental” and capable of finding solutions that “work for all parties — especially for the Filipino people.”

The endorsement marks a significant show of unity in the Senate, particularly as it begins its new session with a broad legislative agenda.

“I look forward to all that we shall accomplish in the 20th Congress,” Dela Rosa concluded. “This shield-bearer leader with a heart is the right choice.”