Senator Ping Lacson. INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson, who expressed intention to run for president in the 2022 polls, will be installed as the new chairman of the revived Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma (Partido Reporma) political party.
Lacson confirmed this during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
The party, the president of which is former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, will hold a meeting Thursday to formally install him as chairman, according to Lacson.
“Ito, iba yung feeling ko, nandiyan si Senate President (Vicente Sotto III), meron siyang malaking partido, siya yung chair, merong in-offer sa ating partido na dating ang namumuno dito si [former defense] Sec. [Renato] de Villa,” he added.
(This time, I have a different feeling, the Senate President is there, he has a large party, which he chairs, and a party was offered to me, a party that former defense Sec. Renato de Villa used to lead.)
Lacson, who will be running in tandem with Sotto in 2022, first ran for president in 2004 but placed only third behind Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the late Fernando Poe Jr.
“Kaya nga iba yung feeling ko ngayon kaysa noong 2004 kasi noon, para kaming mga ulila..ngayon hindi ko feeling na ulila ako, maraming tumutulong, maraming gustong sumama,” Lacson went on.
(That’s why I have a different feeling this time compared to 2004 because before, I felt abandoned…now, it does not feel that way, there are a lot of people who want to help and accompany me.)
According to Lacson, it was Alvarez who floated the idea to the senator to try and seek the presidency.
Lacson said he started to form a good relationship with Alvarez when the latter was still the House speaker.
At that time, Lacson said he, along with another senator, would usually accompany Sotto when he held discussions with Alvarez as the two leaders of Congress.
Alvarez, who was ousted from the House speakership in 2018, went around the country for consultations on who should be the country’s next leader, according to Lacson.
“Nagkaroon kami ng isang pagtitipon ni Speaker Alvarez, binuksan niya sakin, sabi niya ‘baka pwedeng pagisipan mo.’ This was, I think, 2018 after he was ousted. Sabi ko wala nga akong plano,” Lacson said.
(Speaker Alvarez and I met once and he broached the idea to me ‘Maybe you can think about it.’ This was I think in 2018 after he was ousted. I told him I have no plans.)
“Nung nakaikot na, saka niya sinabi samin na, we need a leader in 2022, ‘baka pwedeng maghanda ka.’ Sabi sa akin ‘Ito talaga noong umikot kami, nung inikot ko, ang nasa isip ko talaga rito ikaw’,” the senator added.
(After he went around, he told me we need a leader in 2022, ‘maybe you can prepare for it.’ He told me ‘When I went around you, you were actually who I had in mind.)
“Kasi ang mga description niya na mga katangian…yung may tapang, yung may paninindigan..Sabi niya ‘baka pwedeng pagisipan mong mabuti.’ Nakita kong sinsero naman,” Lacson further said.
(He has this description of the leader we need…someone who has courage and principles..He told me ‘maybe you can really think about it.’ I saw his sincerity.)