SEN. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said he has decided to join the resurrected Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma (Partido Reporma) political party in preparation for his presidential candidacy in next year’s elections.
At a forum in Manila, Lacson said party members, led by former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, will meet today to install him as party chairman.
Lacson is running with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, chair of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
The Partido Reporma was founded by former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa after he left Lakas-NUCD after failing to get the party nomination as standard bearer in the 1998 elections. The party became dormant and was revived by Alvarez in 2018 after he was ousted as speaker.
Lacson said Alvarez first asked him to join the party after his ouster but at that time, Lacson said, he had no political plan. He said he did not know that Alvarez went around the country to get the consensus of the people about having a new leader in 2022.
“He was able to connect with a lot of people… Noong nakaikot na saka niya sinabi sa akin na, `We need a leader in 2022 at ikaw ang nasa isip ko (He was able to connect with a lot of people… It was only after he made the rounds in that he told me that ‘we need a leader in 2022 and you are on my mind,’” Lacson said.
He said he is much comfortable now with Partido Reporma since he has no political party when he ran in the 2004 presidential elections.
Lacson was a member of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) when he ran and won a seat in the Senate in 2001.
In 2004, Lacson said that he, together with the late Agapito “Butch” Aquino (former LDP secretary general), Rep. Carlos Padilla, Rep. Rolex Suplico and others “broke away when the late FPJ [Fernando Poe Jr.] was adopted as its presidential candidate without a party convention.”
Lacson also said he and Sotto III met with the Liberal Party chairman Vice President Leni Robredo and former Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino. The meeting arranged by LP president Sen. Francis Pangilinan took place last week.
Lacson, however, said he has no “authority” to not disclose what they talked about.
Pangilinan said the meeting was “part of our previously announced efforts at exploring uniting with other groups and personalities for the coming 2022 elections.”
“As VP Leni said several weeks ago, the unity of all those who share a common belief in providing genuine solutions to the country’s problems is key come 2022 if we are to put the country on the right track towards succeeding in reaching the twin goals of defeating COVID-19 and achieving economic recovery. That is all that I am at liberty to say right now,” Pangilinan said.
Lacson also said he and Sotto are also in constant contact with Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao even if the latter is the US preparing for his fight with American Errol Spence on August 21.
Pacquiao has not declared but is widely believed to be seeking the presidency next year.
Lacson said he asked Pacquiao for a personal meeting right after he returns.
