Lacson to pursue presidential bid as independent
BY WENDELL VIGILIA and RAYMOND AFRICA
DAVAO del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez and his Partido Reporma have abandoned their own presidential candidate, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in favor of opposition presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo, saying she is the only candidate who has a chance of beating former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. In the May 9 elections.
Alvarez, Reporma president who used to be a staunch ally of President Duterte, announced the party’s decision yesterday in a press conference in Tagum City, Davao del Norte where he and other local officials led by Gov. Edwin Jubahib welcomed Robredo at the provincial capitol.
“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,” said Alvarez, who criticized of the Vice President when he was still the House speaker.
Before the press conference, Lacson announced his resignation from the party of which he was chairman, but said he is not withdrawing from the presidential race.
Lacson said there were “insinuations” at the start of the campaign period that the party has abandoned him but has kept to himself until he was informed of the party officials’ decision to support another candidate. He also said he does not harbor ill-feelings against Alvarez and the rest of the Davao del Norte party candidates.
“Today, I officially announce my resignation as chairman and member of Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino, which effectively makes me an independent candidate for the presidency in the upcoming May 2022 elections,” Lacson said in a press conference in General Santos City where he and his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, were campaigning.
Lacson said he was informed on Wednesday by Alvarez “that their slate in Davao del Norte led by Jubahib has decided to endorse “another presidential candidate.”
“Considering that it is at the behest of these top-tier officials that I was recruited as a member and the party’s standard bearer and thereafter elected as its chairman, I believe it is only decent and proper — consistent with my time-honored uncompromising principles — to make this decision,” he said.
“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.
Lacson formally joined the revived Partido Reporma in July last year. He has run as an independent candidate even during his presidential bid in 2004.
Partido Reporma was founded by former defense secretary Renato de Villa in 1997 in preparation for his presidential bid in 1998. It became dormant after the 2004 elections and was resurrected by Alvarez in 2020.
Sotto said he was surprised with Lacson’s announcement but “it doesn’t change anything as far as I am concerned.”
Sotto is running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
The Commission on Elections said Lacson is still considered the Partido Reporma’s candidate.
“Whatever is your party at the time of the filing of the candidacy stays… Whatever changes in your affiliation after the filing of the candidacy, it doesn’t matter,” said Commissioner George Garcia.
“As far as the Comelec is concerned, he is not an independent candidate,” he added.
Garcia said all the benefits and privileges given to a candidate with a political party will remain with Lacson.
“How he or she will be able to get the election returns and such other privilege by the law, that is an internal matter already on the part of the party,” said Garcia.
To the Commission, he said, Lacson’s resignation will only have bearing on the political aspect of the elections.
“It is more political than legal… It is but natural in politics. Loyalties shift. We, at the Comelec, are aware of such instances,” said Garcia.
APOLOGIES
Alvarez, in the press conference, apologized to Robredo, including for the allegation that she was part of an alleged destabilization plot against President Duterte.
Alvarez said he had to join the Robredo camp to be “consistent” with his stand against the Marcos dictatorship since he was among those who fought it in the 1980s when he was still a law student.
“I was attending Ateneo law school then, and I remember that we joined the street protests against the Marcos dictatorship. I was there. That was the first battle, Marcos vs. Cory (former president Corazon Aquino),” he said in Filipino.
Alvarez was among personalities who defended President Duterte’s move to bury Marcos Jr’s father, dictator Ferdinand Marcos, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Robredo told Alvarez there was no need for an apology because they were both just doing what they believe was the best for the country despite their past disagreements.
Robredo said it is important to set aside her political differences with Alvarez and her party mates and focus on their common aim which is to stop the Marcos family from returning to Malacañang and ensure good governance.
“Ang pinakamahalaga ay yung mga bagay na pinagkakasunduan niyo, hindi yung mga bagay na hindi niyo pinagkakasunduan (What’s most important is the things that you agree on, not the disagreements),” she said.
‘RARE GEM’
While they are now supporting Robredo, Alvarez said Reporma maintained that Lacson remains the best presidential candidate because of his experience and track record “and our leaders on the ground have echoed that sentiment time and again.”
“Even supporters of other candidates agree. And under ideal circumstances, they want to campaign and vote for him and see him lead the country. He is the most qualified to be President,” he said of Lacson who has been at bottom of surveys with another presidential bet, Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao.
Alvarez had nothing but praise and respect for Lacson, saying he is “once-in-a generation candidate, a rare gem who devoted his entire life to exceptional public service, risked life and limb for his countrymen, cleaned the ranks of the police force when he led that institution, fought against corruption, and advocated consistently and credibly for good governance.”
The former speaker however said he and the party had to jump the political fence because “the electoral terrain in 2022 is far from ideal, and fate had other plans.”
“Time and context framed the narrative of 2022 in a way that gave traction, rightly or wrongly, to other candidacies instead. This is a difficult fact which takes courage to admit,” he said.
Alvarez was ousted as speaker of the 17th Congress in 2018 after he had a falling out with Marcos’ running mate, presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio who was instrumental in the election of then Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, a former president, as speaker.
“Right now, two candidates (Marcos and Robredo) have pulled away from the pack, and while the candidate second in ranking still lags far behind from the front-runner, it is evident that her campaign has gained, and continues to gain, significant traction. There is much potential there. She (Robredo) has also shown that she represents ideals which are substantially in line with the aims of Partido Reporma: to reform government and provide a better future for Filipino,” he said.
POLITICAL REALITY
Alvarez said their party’s ground leaders have expressed their wish to participate in what he called a “brave calling.” “That is why, a hard choice must be made. With a heavy heart, many members of Partido Reporma are constrained to consider a candidate other than their first choice,” he said.
“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,” said the former speaker.
While the Partido Reporma’s members and officers are not necessarily part of “Kakampinks,” Alvarez said “they are reformists, and they are for Leni Robredo.”
“The fight for good governance and a better tomorrow for our People has never been, and never will be, limited to a single color,” he said. “The Reporma members and officers concerned, they positively, but realistically, view the opportunity to help ensure that the Leni Robredo campaign is strengthened and further represented by additional sectors of society, especially from those in Mindanao – our home – which runs the risk of being neglected again when President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office.”
Alvarez said that like his party mates, he has made the decision to take decisive action and “respond to the demands of patriotism requiring us to set aside personal preferences, the end goal being collective victory for good governance, a better future for Filipinos, and a strong and progressive nation.”
UNACCEPTABLE
Lacson said Alvarez’ decision to support another candidate is “unacceptable” as he said there could be some other reasons for it which he declined to disclose.
He said being an independent candidate will not affect his campaign since the campaign funds are all coming from his friends and supporters who believe in his advocacy.
“I was even driven more (to pursue my candidacy). I am not disappointed or frustrated. I can run my campaign along with SP Sotto… I am the one who is used to be being an independent (candidate), even in my work. I feel more relieved than disappointed),” he said in Filipino.
He said former interior secretary Ronaldo Puno, who is their campaign strategist, will continue to work for his presidency.
Ashley Acedillo said he has also resigned as Partido Reporma spokesman, but will remain as Lacson’s campaign spokesman.
Acedillo said their senatorial candidates Guillermo Eleazar, Minguita Padilla, and Emmanuel Piñol will stay in Lacson’s lineup, but they will have to wait for Monsour del Rosario’s decision as he is known to be close to Alvarez.
Del Rosario said he will support Robredo, the party’s choice.
Rafael Rodriguez, the party’s Cavite chapter chairman, has also resigned from his post along with the province’s district and municipal/city chairmen.
“Our collective stand is in line with the decision of our presidential candidate, Sen. Ping Lacson, to resign from the party and push through with his presidential aspiration as independent candidate. We shall continue to support Sen Ping Lacson in his quest for (the) presidency,” Rodriguez said. — With Gerard Naval
