Lacson endorses Bam Aquino’s re-election as senator

Sen. Panfilo Lacson (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson has endorsed the reelection bid of opposition Senator Bam Aquino.

Lacson is part of the majority bloc in the Senate while Aquino belongs to the minority group.

“Kapag napapagusapan ang libreng matrikula sa kolehiyo, ang unang naiisip ko, si Senador Bam Aquino. Alam kong siya ang nagtiyagang itulak ito sa Senado bilang author at Principal Sponsor ng Free Tuition Law,” Lacson said in a video posted Monday by Kaya Natin group, which is pushing for Aquino’s reelection as senator.

“Kung ako lang masusunod, magandang makabalik si Senator Bam sa Senado,” Lacson added.

In the video, Lacson narrated the difficulty of passing a measure in Congress, which starts from filing a bill to defending it on the floor.

Senator Bam Aquino. INQUIRER.NET/CATHY MIRANDA

Sponsoring and defending a measure on the floor, he said, is the most difficult part of legislation.

“Kasi tatayo ka dun, tatanungin ka ng mga kasamahan mo. Idedepensa mo ‘yung bill, ‘yung panukalang batas na itnitulak mo. ‘Yun ang pinakamhirap na portion,” he said.

“‘Yung pagiging author, susulat mo lang ‘yun. ifa-file mo. Pero ang mag-defend, ‘yan ang napakahirap kasi napakaraming pilosopo kaming kasama doon. Tatanungin ka ng kalit-liitang detalye ng panukalang batas o ‘yung bill na dinidepensa mo,” Lacson added.

Aquino is the only incumbent senator in the opposition slate dubbed as “Otso Deretso.”

READ: Opposition completes 8-member senatorial slate for 2019 polls

The five other senatorial bets of the opposition are former Senator Mar Roxas; Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano; former Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada; human rights lawyer and De La Salle University College of Law dean Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno; and former Bangsamoro Transition Commission member and Maranao civic leader Samira Gutoc. /kga