FILE PHOTO: President Vicente Sotto III looks on as Senator Panfilo Lacson speaks. Senate PRIB photo
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III will be gunning for the nation’s two highest positions in the upcoming 2022 national elections.
This was confirmed by Lacson, who will be running for president with Sotto as his vice president, in a message to INQUIRER.net on Tuesday.
“Yes, we have already decided. We will [go] for it as a tandem. He (Sotto) is my vice presidential candidate,” Lacson said.
Lacson and Sotto have earlier embarked on consultative meetings with local officials and various sectors.
READ: Lacson, Sotto buoyed by growing public support
It was in early June when Sotto said he will “definitely” team up with Lacson for the 2022 elections.
Sotto, in a Teleradyo interview, said he and Lacson will make the official announcement on August 4, where a launching event will be held.
‘We’re the alternative’
Meanwhile, Sotto clarified that he and Lacson would not identify themselves as pro-administration candidates or opposition bets.
“We are the alternative. We’re not pro-administration. We’re not the opposition,” he said.
“We’re neutral… It’s up to the people to pick who they want, who they should vote for,” he added, speaking partly in Filipino.
Why run in 2022?
According to Sotto, their decision to run for the two top posts in government comes from their “love of country.”
“It may sound corny to others. One of the reasons is the love of country,” he said. He noted that he and Lacson had 83 years in public service combined.
Asked about their programs, Sotto said they would push for budget reform to ensure that national funds would trickle down to localities.
“There should be another system that would let the people’s money reach down and not remain with the national development so that it would develop what is called mendicancy in government,” he said.
He further pointed to the ballooning debt of the country as one of the problems the next leaders will have to address.
To sum up his and Lacson’s programs, Sotto said it would be anchored on ability, honesty, and courage — “kakayahan, katapatan, at katapangan.”
“It’s all there. It’s wrapped up as one,” he said.
“We know the problems of the country — from the pandemic to corruption. All of those we have seen. Even the solutions we have seen in the Senate,” Sotto said. “But then we’re legislators. We’re not in the executive department. We recommend [solutions]. Some are implemented, some are not.”