On Thursday, Lacson announced his resignation from Reporma after Alvarez , Reporma president, with secretary general Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib announced that they are dropping Lacson as Reporma presidential candidate and endorsed the bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
A day later, he disclosed that campaign expenses amounting to PHP800 million was the reason for Reporma’s switch to another bet.
Lacson said he found out from Reporma candidates that the money was not meant for their campaign.
He said his conversations with Reporma local candidates showed that they never pressued ezto provide them funds.
“Kung corrupt ako, madali ko sanang maibibigay ang PHP800 milyon na hinihingi nila (If I were corrupt, I could have easily given the PHP800 million they are asking for). But I don’t have the guts to steal or accept bribes. Nothing can ever change my principles and tarnish my integrity. This fight is not just about me and the present. It is about our country’s future,” he said on his Twitter account.
Lacson reiterated his stance against money politics, where candidates give voters what they want during the campaign period – then get back their “investment” by engaging in corruption during their terms – three years for local posts and six years for national posts.
“As long as ‘money politics’ dominate our elections, it will be a vicious ‘cycle of revenge’ between candidates and voters: voters having a field day during the campaign period and candidates exacting vengeance for three or six years of victory. Kawawang Pilipinas,” he said.
Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson said money was the reason why Alvarez and his party Partido Reporma abandoned him to shift support to rival Vice President Leni Robredo in the presidential race in the May 9 election.
“If pre-election surveys was his primary reason for switching his support, I don’t believe it because like me, Mayor Isko and Sen. Pacquiao, his newly chosen candidate is also lagging far behind the survey leader,” Lacson said.
Lacson resigned from Partido Reporma on Thursday, March 24, a day before Alvarez abbiunced he and his party have shifted support to Robredo.
Alvarez made the statement after presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday officially resigned as chairperson and member of the Partido Reporma and will now run as an independent candidate.
Alvarez said while Lacson is the “most qualified to be president”, he said there are currently two frontrunners in the presidential race, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Robredo.
Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso is happy that Senator and fellow presidential aspirant Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson decided to stay in the race despite recent developments in the latter’s political party.Domagoso, in an… Read More
“We reasonably believe that the only realistic option at this point, with roughly a month and a half left, is to converge with Leni Robredo’s campaign. Together, we will pursue the realization of our collective aspirations to improve the chances of ordinary Filipinos at a better life,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said Robredo represents ideals that are substantially in line with the aims of the party, which are “to reform government and provide a better future for Filipinos”.
Alvarez said “decisive action” is necessary with only a few months left before the May polls, as he stressed the need to set aside personal preferences in order to achieve “collective victory for good governance, a better future for Filipinos, and a strong and progressive nation”.
“We need a leader. And for the 2022 Presidential elections, given all these considerations and the crisis we have to overcome, that leader is a woman. Her name is Leni Robredo,” he said.
In a statement, Lacson said the decision to resign from the party came after he got information that the party’s slate in Davao del Norte will be endorsing another presidential candidate.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) I was informed by the party president, former Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez, that their slate in Davao del Norte, led by the party secretary-general and Provincial Governor Edwin Jubahib, has decided to endorse another presidential candidate,” Lacson said, without giving any further details.
Saying that his decision to run as the party standard-bearer was done at the “behest of these top tier officials”, Lacson said it is only proper for him to resign to uphold his principles.
Despite these developments, he said he will continue with his presidential campaign.
“In the face of these recent developments, allow me to say, like a true-blooded warrior that I am all my life, I will continue this fight in pursuit of my quest to serve my country and our people, as your Chief Executive – if God and the Filipino people will it, come May 9, 2022,” he added
THE DURIAN POST 