Sotto optimistic Lacson’s standing to improve

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III meets with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia at the capitol on Friday, October 8. (DALE ISRAEL/INQUIRER VISAYAS)

CEBU CITY––Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is optimistic that Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s standing among the presidential candidates will improve in the coming weeks.

Sotto, who was in Cebu Friday, said they now have the support of at least four major political parties: the National Unity Party, Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma, Nationalist People’s Coalition, and the United Nationalist Alliance party of former Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“We have just started, but the important thing is that, as far as our team is concerned, our organization is already in place. We have started early. We have from three to (now) four big groups that are laying out the groundwork for us,” he said.

Sotto visited Friday Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to seek her endorsement.

The local political party of Garcia, however, has not given endorsements to national candidates, saying they will make the announcements only by Nov. 15.

Sotto was the top choice for vice president in a recent Pulse Asia Survey. Lacson, who is running for president, is seventh in the ranking.

“So we are laying out the groundwork nationwide. You cannot see that in the surveys yet. We expect the numbers of Senator Lacson to catch up,” Sotto explained.

Sotto, who is in Cebu and other provinces in the Visayas for a series of “town hall meetings,” said he had a lot of work to do to maintain his position in the surveys.

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