Lacson backs Duterte ‘punching bag,’ 9 other senatorial bets

MANILA, Philippines — At least 10 senatorial bets, including President Rodrigo Duterte’s “favorite punching bag,” will get Senator Panfilo Lacson’s vote in the upcoming elections.

“I have 10 right now na siguradong iboboto ko,” Lacson said at the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday.

His bets include the seven reelectionists senators — Sonny Angara, Bam Aquilino, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Koko Pimentel, Grace Poe, and Cynthia Villar, former Senator Mar Roxas, and Dr. Willie Ong.

Lacson refused to identify the remaining candidate on his list.

“Meron akong soft heart dun sa mga reeelectionst na kasama namin whether from the majority bloc or the minority bloc kasi nakasama ko na sila and alam ko na how they work,” he said.

Lacson said he and his colleagues in the Senate majority bloc already agreed to support the seven reelectionist senators.

“Nagkausap-usap na kami dyan na we will all, in our own little way, tulungan namin silang manalo because kabisado na namin yung work ethic. Mahirap yung mag ve-venture ka dun sa hindi mo alam kung anong panggugulo ang gagawin,” he said.

Lacson described Ong as a decent man while he believes Roxas would be an “asset” in the Senate.

“Hndi lang sa kaibigan ko si Mar Roxas pero naawa rin ako minsan sa kanya dahil sya yung favorite punching bag ni President. Ang laging nababanat sa kanya yung Yolanda,” said the senator.

READ:Duterte slams Roxas: Where are billions of ‘Yolanda’ funds?

As former rehabilitation czar, Lacson denied the “very wrong impression” that Roxas misused funds intended for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

Roxas was head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) when Yolanda devastated the Visayas in November 2013.

Lacson said Roxas had nothing to do with the Yolanda funds, noting that the DILG simply provided cash assistance to local government units.

“It’s unfair, to say the least, na parang s’ya yung naging poster boy ng Yolanda,” the senator said.

“I’d just like to correct that very wrong impression na si Secretary Roxas or Senator Roxas abused the funds. No, far from it. It never happened,” Lacson added. /cbb