The candidate's top five accomplishments and contributions for the last 15 years or so

In the lower chamber, Escudero pushed for the cityhood of Sorsogon, which was approved via a plebiscite in 2000. Escudero also served as House minority floor leader from 2004 to 2007.

He was a spokesperson for Fernando Poe, Jr. during the latter’s presidential campaign in 2004. He then became a key opposition figure against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, leading failed impeachment drives against her in 2005.

As a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Escudero filed about 271 bills during his three terms. The Charter of the City of Sorsogon is among the 10 laws that he principally authored in the lower house. He was also among the representatives who signed the resolutions endorsing the complaints for impeachment filed against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005 and 2006. Neither complaint made it past the House Committee on Justice.

He principally authored at least 58 laws during his two terms as a senator, including the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012, the Bureau of Corrections Act and the Revised Corporation Code.

A brief controversy arose from his wedding to actress Heart Evangelista, relating to the event’s estimated cost as well as the choices of principal sponsors of their marriage. Critics noted the inclusion of business bigwigs whose new affiliation with the Escudero couple may lead to conflicts of interest with the senator's oversight duties.

In terms of disclosing financial records by public servants, Escudero filed Senate bills in 2010 and 2013 seeking to mandate the submission of a waiver of the secrecy of bank deposits, in relation to all domestic and foreign bank deposits and investment bonds, when public officials are bound by law to submit a SALN. Escudero had included such a waiver when he submitted his SALNs to the Senate secretary.

However, during the impeachment proceedings against then Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Judicial Bar Council officials testified that Escudero was the JBC member who moved to allow “substantial compliance” by Sereno in the submission of her SALNs when she was an applicant for Supreme Court chief justice. Sereno’s failure to declare her SALN in full during her 17-year teaching period at the University of the Philippines-College of Law was among the grounds for her impeachment and later, the basis of the successful quo warranto petition seeking to void her appointment as chief justice.

Escudero later clarified that the easing of the SALN submission rules was done for all SC applicants, given some applicants’ lengthy government service. Escudero also denied being the JBC member who pursued the rule-change, recalling that it was a subject of long debate after an applicant was unable to submit all his SALNs during his public service tenure.

As Sorsogon governor, he focused on improving health and roadways infrastructure, local tourism, disaster preparedness and relief resources. As of February 2022, Escudero reports that 22 offices of the provincial government, nine government hospitals and five municipalities in Sorsogon have been granted quality management system certifications from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9001:2015). He also led the province’s COVID-19 response, providing free medical services through the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act in Sorsogon and supporting a speedy COVID-19 vaccination drive by giving financial incentives and release from other infection-mitigation requirements to fully-vaccinated persons.

In June 2020, after the House of Representatives passed on third reading the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act on final reading, Escudero tweeted that the Bill of Rights acts as a limit on government power and potential abuse of laws. Some netizens remarked that his mother, Rep. Evelina Escudero, was among the authors of House Bill No. 6875–to which Escudero replied that she had abstained from the vote approving the bill since it was different from the version initially filed. Rep. Evelina Escudero was among the lawmakers who withdrew their support of the heavily-criticized law.