Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday, June 6 defended actor and Senator-elect Robin Padilla against critics who questioned his impending chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments in the 19th Congress.

Escudero said no senator should be discriminated upon and should be judged mainly by his or her performance after serving in the capacity they were elected into.

“All senators are equal...they have one vote each and get the same monthly salary,” Escudero said.

“A senator can chair any committee. There is no special qualification to chair a specific committee. It rests solely on the decision via election made by a majority of the senators on the floor,” he further pointed out.

As such, Escudero said Padilla is “as qualified as any senator elected to serve as such to chair any committee that the majority decides to elect him to.”

Padilla was the front runner in the senatorial race last May 9, 20222 having about 26 million votes. Upon winning the senatorial race, the actor said he specifically wants to lead the Senate Committees on Constitutonal Amendment and Public Information.

The senator-elect has been very vocal of his support for a shift to a federalism form of government and has vowed to push for Charter change if he is elected.

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who is poised to be elected as the next Senate president in the next Congress, has advised Padilla to study hard as he said that Padilla may indeed end up being the chairperson of the constitutional amendment panel.

Zubiri, however, said Padilla’s chairmanship would be put to a vote when the 19th Congress starts on July 25.

Outgoing senator, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, had also offered the same advice to Padilla, noting he had to debate with seasoned lawyers and constitutionalists, deans of Philippine law schools if ever he heads the committee.