The House minority leader, who led moves to remove the President from office, had not stepped into Malacañang in years and had not seen Mrs. Arroyo in over a year, since becoming a staunch critic of her administration.
But Escudero said he decided to set aside politics to personally receive his trophy, which was conferred by the President at Malacañang’s Rizal Hall, along with the six others cited for their various achievements.
Escudero and Mrs. Arroyo exchanged warm smiles but obviously were uncomfortable sharing the same stage for long, given their political differences.
They shook hands twice and exchanged pleasantries. Escudero remained standing beside the President until the emcee completed his recitation on why the 36-year-old lawmaker was chosen as a TOYM awardee for youth leadership.
The scene apparently delighted the audience and elicited some laughter as Escudero and Mrs. Arroyo held stiff smiles on stage.
Escudero was awarded for his political achievements, which included becoming House assistant majority leader and now minority leader.
He was quite popular among those who came to witness the ceremony, with many guests lining up to get an autograph or have their photographs taken with him.
Asked how he felt about being "reunited" with the President — if only for a few moments on stage — Escudero said it was just fine. He said he last saw her during her State of the Nation Address in 2004, which most of the opposition members boycotted.
Escudero said he was probably given the award because "I have nothing to hide. I have nothing to be afraid of. I have nothing to be unsure about (in) what I have been doing and what I have done."
"And there is no reason at all why I should feel embarrassed or ashamed of what I have done," he added.
Escudero said his award and his decision to receive it personally from the President would show that what the opposition has been focusing on — the removal of Mrs. Arroyo from office — was not pure politicking meant to destroy the government.
"This recognizes the role that the opposition plays to improve the system of government," Escudero said.
Escudero said he would continue to be a responsible fiscalizer and rejected calls of the President for opposition members to join her government.
The other awardees included Beethoven Bunagan, more popularly known as "Michael V," for arts and entertainment; Paul Felipe Cruz for aquaculture; Illac Angelo Diaz for social entrepreneurship; Edgardo Herbosa for countryside development; Alvin Valeriano Marcelo for medical information; and Maria Corazon de Ungria for forensic science.
Aside from the TOYM awardees, the President also presented the Bagong Bayani Awards to outstanding overseas Filipino workers and the Filipino Achievers Award to the Philippine Seniors Golf and Powerlifting team members.
The President likewise handed an Achiever Award to young violinist Joaquin Maria Gutierrez, a two-time winner of the National Music Competition for Young Artists who earned a scholarship to study in Munich, Germany.
The Bagong Bayani Awards is an international search recognizing outstanding and exemplary OFWs for their significant efforts in fostering goodwill, enhancing and promoting the image of Filipinos as competent, responsible and dignified workers, as well as their contributions to the socio-economic development of their respective communities and the country as a whole.
Leading the Bagong Bayani Outstanding Employees is Kuwait-based Zenaida Batillano, recipient of the Presidential Citation for her courage and leadership during the Iraqi conflict in 2003. She is also the founder of a charitable organization responsible for donations locally and abroad to victims of calamities.
The other Outstanding Employees are seaman Lugen Ortillano, Melvin Malvar (Northern Marianas Islands), Jaime King (Saudi Arabia), Veronica Ugates (Libya), George Palencia (Saudi Arabia), Marlon Joseph Molina (United Kingdom), and the Filipino crew of the MV Merino Express, who earned the esteem of the Australian government and the livestock exporting community by protecting their cargo of 56,000 livestock while battling extreme heat and thirst during an extended voyage of 86 days.
The recipients of the Bagong Bayani for Community and Social Service are Jesse James Agustin, chief technical assistant in the Ministry of Development in Brunei who established the international office of the Social Security System (SSS) for OFWs; Leonor Mohammad Gile, who worked with the Philippine consulate in Jeddah in solving the numerous problems of OFWs against their employers without expecting anything in return; and the Filipino crew of the MV Stolt Capability, who received the Lloyds List International Rescue at Sea Award for helping rescue the crewmen of a sinking Vietnam-registered vessel.
Recipient of the Bagong Bayani Award for Culture and Performing Arts is photographer Gerico Canlapan, whose works were presented in various group exhibitions in Riyadh and used to produce a calendar that benefited the Gawad Kalinga program.
Aside from the Bagong Bayani Outstanding Employee Award, Zenaida Batillano also received the Blas F. Ople Award Para sa Natatanging Bagong Bayani for being the only Asian woman in her company’s top management level who influenced the hiring of Filipinos for supervisory and management positions.
She also led the Filipino community in managing the Iraqi crisis in 2004 and became its pillar of strength and courage.
Meanwhile, the RP Seniors Golf Team won in the 15th Asia-Pacific Senior Golf Championships held in Guangdong, China last Nov. 2 to 4. Their victory marked the first time the Philippines won the yearly tournament for golfers aged 55 years and above since it was first held 15 years ago.
The senior golfers honored were Carlos Coscolluela Jr., Wigberto Clavecilla Jr., Ricardo Garcia, Godofredo Galindez, Francis Gaston, Tomas Manotoc, and Rolando Viray.
The President also handed the Filipino Achievers Award to the RP Powerlifting Team members who showcased their prowess during the World Powerlifting Championships in Pretoria, South Africa last Oct. 3.
Leading the power lifters were Col. Antonio Taguibao, who won four gold medals and achieved his fifth world title in the flyweight category, and Erlina Pecante who also snatched four golds and broke the world record by squatting 445 pounds in the women’s heavyweight category.
The other honorees were Eddie Torres who took home a gold, silver and bronze medal in the heavyweight category, and Nina Oca, who won a bronze in the women’s flyweight category.