SENATE President Vicente Sotto III yesterday said Vice President Leni Robredo should have first studied the “sure unification formula” proposed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson instead of rejecting it outright.
“It’s her opinion. Ping’s (Lacson’s) offer was sincere and selfless. She was not supposed to reject right away and instead study first the possibilities,” an obviously disappointed Sotto said in a message to reporters.
“Outright rejection meant they had something else in mind at the outset,” Sotto also said.
Sotto is seeking the vice presidency in next year’s elections, with Lacson as his presidential candidate.
Lacson said he was “quite disappointed” with the outright rejection and said he was somehow expecting the Vice President will first study it.
“Yung sa akin suggestion lang iyon. Top of the head lang ito, hindi ito parang solid. Ibig sabihin puwede pang may variation ito. Kaya lang, sabihin na nating I was quite disappointed (by) that nip in the bud, so to speak. (That was only a suggestion on my part.
I thought of it at the top of my head, it’s not yet final as it can have variations. I was quite disappointed by that nip in the bud, so to speak),” Lacson told Teleradyo in an interview.
He said he was surprised of Robredo immediate rejection of his proposal even as he explained the “logic, wisdom, and rationale” of his proposal.
Lacson disclosed his formula offer on Thursday last week and said Robredo “resisted” it. He did not give details on his proposal.
On Sunday, Robredo said Lacson’s proposal was for all presidential candidates involved in opposition unification talks to file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) in October, and eventually withdraw in favor of the candidate who will top surveys. Robredo also said she rejected the proposal because she does not want to lead her supporters on then disappoint them by withdrawing, and because she believes the unification of opposition allies must happen before the filing of COCs.
Lacson later on Sunday said he respects Robredo’s decision to reject his formula which he said was “a sincere and selfless offer.” He also said he suggested to Robredo that Sotto be the common vice presidential candidate of the opposition but did not say what Robredo’s reaction was.
Sotto also took to Twitter to say that it was Robredo’s camp that sought a meeting with him and Lacson.
Sotto uploaded on his Twitter account a screenshot of a text message relayed to him by an unidentified person, which apparently came from Robredo’s camp, saying “I am texting as well to relay a message from VP Leni.”
“She (Robredo) would like to reach out to SP (Senate President) Sotto and Sen. Lacson and consult them regarding the possibility of uniting behind one candidate/one ticket come 2022. She also says that the candidate need not be her as the victory and the unity of ticket for her is paramount,” the message also said.
“Also, she is willing to go see SP Sotto and Sen. Ping at a place of their convenience. For your info,” it added.
Sotto said the message was sent to him last July 14.
Meanwhile, Sotto said he and Lacson are unfazed by recent reports that the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) will support presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for president next year.
Lacson plans to run under the Partido Demokratiko which recently appointed him as party chairman, while Sotto plans to run under the Nationalist People’s Coalition in which he is chairman.
LDP chairman Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said their party is just finishing the draft memorandum of agreement “to formalize any agreements made” with Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional political party headed by Duterte-Carpio.
“(The party members) have agreed to support her should she decide to run for president,” Angara said.
