Francis Joseph Guevara Escudero or Chiz was born on October 10, 1969, and studied at the University of the Philippines from kindergarten to college where he took up law. In 1994, he passed the Philippine Bar and went on to obtain a Masters degree in International and Comparative Law at Georgetown University in 1996.

As a practicing lawyer and teacher, he decided to enter politics in 1998 and was elected Representative of the 1st District of Sorsogon and was voted by his peers as Assistant Majority Floor Leader.

He was re-elected twice and was House Minority Floor Leader during his last term.

His name has national recall, and this was proven by the fact that he nearly topped the senatorial elections in 2007.