MANILA - Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) as he seeks a return to the Senate in the May 2022 elections.

Atty. George Garcia files COC on behalf of Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero who is making a senate comeback.#Halalan2022 pic.twitter.com/iGEOlSiMEf

— Ina Reformina (@InaReformina) October 1, 2021

Atty. George Garcia filed the COC on Escudero's behalf at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.

Escudero, who will be running under the National People's Coalition (NPC) party, earlier said he hopes to be able to do his part as a lawmaker in helping the country recover from the pandemic after the current administration.

He also previously said his platform this time around would likely center on empowering local governments.

• Escudero to seek Senate comeback in 2022

Escudero studied Political Science at the University of the Philippines where he also obtained his law degree. Two years after having been admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1994, he took up Masters in International and Comparative Law at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C.

Now 51, Escudero started his political career in 1998 at the age of 28 when he won as the representative of the first district of Sorsogon. He was reelected twice and held the same position for two more terms until 2007.

After his stint at the House of Representatives, Escudero was elected to the Senate, where he served from 2007 until 2019.

In 2016, Escudero ran for vice president but lost to Leni Robredo.

He is married to actress Heart Evangelista and has two children with former wife Christine Elizabeth Flores.