MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III may well be declared as vice president-elect as early as now given his high rankings in various surveys, his running mate Senator Panfilo Lacson said.
After the tandem filed their respective certificates of candidacy (COCs) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday, Lacson was asked how he intends to improve his current survey rankings.
According to a latest survey from Pulse Asia, Lacson would only place 7th in the presidential race if elections were held early September, as he would only bag seven percent of the votes. Sotto on the other hand is the front-runner for the vice presidential elections, topping the list with 25 percent of respondents picking him.
Lacson said that their grassroots organizations are already making moves to address the concerns, noting also his partner’s high rankings.
“As we speak, ‘yong aming grassroots recruitment and organization nasa full swing, alam ni Tito Sen ‘yan, katunayan siya parang pinagpala talaga ng langit, parang ngayon pa lang sigurado na, pwede nang magdeklara ng bise presidente ang aking ka-tandem, ang aking ka-partner,” Lacson told reporters.
(As we speak, our grassroots recruitment and organization are on a full swing, Senator Sotto knows that. Actually it seems he is blessed by the heavens, because as early as now it seems we are sure already, we can already declare my partner and running mate as the vice president-elect.)
“Kaya ngayon pa lang kino-congratulate ko na, sabi ko lang sa kanya, ‘wag mo ‘kong pabayaan,” he joked.
(That’s why as early as now I am congratulating him, I only told him to never forget about me.)
Turning serious, Lacson maintained that their grassroots organizations are working to attract more voters by presenting their platform, should they get elected.
“Grassroots, full swing actually. ‘Yong organizations, ‘yong recruitment, and nilalahad namin do’n kung ano ‘yong aming magagawa, kung kami’y pagbibigyan na mamuno sa susunod na anim na taon,” he said.
(Grassroots are in full swing, actually. The organizations, the recruitment, and the presentation of what we can do, our platform if we are allowed to govern in the next six years, are being presented.)
Lacson is the latest among the frontrunners to formalize his candidacy for president, joining other big names like Senator Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and former senator Bongbong Marcos.
Sotto meanwhile joins other candidates like Senator Bong Go in the vice presidential race.
According to the tandem, one of their primary focus would be work to restore the Filipinos’ trust with government.