Senate President Vicente Sotto III (right), Senator Panfilo Lacson (left), and chief legal counsel of the National People’s Coalition Goyo Larrazabal (center) drop by the Barasoain Museum in Malolos, Bulacan. as they took a leisurely break in their ‘Tour of Luzon” on July 8, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Atty. Goyo Larrazabal)
MANILA, Philippines — Anyone remembers ” Gupit Aguinaldo”?
Senate President Vicente ” Tito” Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson were reminded of the years the “Gupit Aguinaldo” was a fad during their teenage years while on a historical tour at the Museo ng Republika 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan.
The haircut refers to the one made famous by the country’s first president, Emilio Aguinaldo.
The haircut nostalgia switched to a candid discussion on governance and corruption, according to former Commission on Elections Commissioner Goyo Larrazabal who joined the two in what was supposed to be a leisurely trip in Luzon.
Larrazabal said Lacson noted that Aguinaldo had his share of “fake news.”
“Ang unfortunate with President Aguinaldo is that he lived too long that he got his own dose of fake news and trolls of the era after WWII up to the time of his death during the 1960s,” Larrazaba quoted Lacson as saying.
If they could speak to President Aguinaldo what would they tell the first Philippine President? — this hypothetical question came up to which Lacson responded: “Ang mga Pilipino dapat patuloy ang pakikipagpalaban hindi lang sa mga nais sumakop sa ating bayan. Kalaban din natin ang mga sarili natin. Hanggang hindi natin nararating ang estado na tayo at tunay na malaya at lumalaban para sa tama lamang—-wala tayo karapatan humarap sa ating Unang Pangulo.”
Sotto, on the other hand, said he will tell the first president about one of his compositions. “Marahil matutuwa si Heneral Aguinaldo sa awiting ginawa ko. ‘Yung Dakilang Lahi. ‘Yan tayo kasi – isang Dakilang Lahi. Dapat magpasalamat tayo sa kanila sa kanilang mga ipinaglaban. Ibinaon nila ang pundasyon ng isang tunay na dakilang lahi.”
The leisure drive turned into a consultative meeting with local leaders in Northern Luzon for a possible Lacson-Sotto tandem in the coming 2022 elections.
In their travel in Northern Luzon, Larrazabal, who is the chief legal counsel of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, reminded the public of their decision in next year’s elections.
Lacson and Sotto said during the consultation with local officials that corruption is unacceptable on all fronts.
“History favors those who defy the norm. The decisions we make today will determine the future we face tomorrow,” Larrazabal said.
More consultative meetings will take place in the coming weeks for a possible Lacson-Sotto tandem.