Lacson: Any unification talks are dead by now

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson,. Senate PRIB file photo / Voltaire F. Domingo

MANILA, Philippines — Any unification talk between him and other presidential aspirants with the opposition appears impossible now, Senator Panfilo Lacson said during a forum on Thursday.

Lacson explained to the panelists from the Rotary Club of Manila, who asked if there was still a chance that he and Vice President Leni Robredo could team up for the 2022 national election, that it was the country’s second-highest official who rejected his proposal for a united slate.

According to Lacson, she was expecting Robredo to think about his proposal, not outrightly rejecting it.

“Malabo na ho ‘yon kasi no’ng inoffer ko sa kanya (because when I offered it to her) at least I was you know, I was expecting to hear from her ‘yong ‘sige, I’ll consult with my advisers, and let’s consider this.  Pero outright ni-reject niya (But she outrightly rejected it), so at that point, it was gone, it was over, because she rejected it,” Lacson said during the virtual meet.

“Mas madaling mag-usap ng concept, madaling mag-usap ng plano, ‘yon ang pinaka-madaling pag-usapan, but how to concretize, how to operationalize, ‘yon ang mas mahirap na parte.  And I offered something to concretize the concept or the plan to unify,” he added.

(It is easier to talk about concepts, plans, that is the easiest thing to talk about.  But how to concretize, how to operationalize, that is the harder part.  And I offered something to concretize the concept or the plan to unify.)

It can be recalled that Lacson suggested that opposition bets file their respective certificates of candidacy (COC), with the promise of backing out for the candidate who has the biggest chance to win.  Robredo rejected it because it allegedly fools voters into thinking that they would ultimately run for president.

That rejection meant the end of the discussions about a unity slate on their side, Lacson said.

“So I was surprised why she outrightly rejected the offer, hindi man lang, you know, ‘yes, let’s talk about it further and let’s consult our advisers, and let’s see how far it can go’,” he said.

“Sa ngayon, the answer is malabo na (Now, the answer is it’s far-fetched),” he added.

The Senator, who is running in the 2022 polls with Senate President Vicente Sotto III as his running mate, gave a detailed explanation of what went wrong in his discussions with Robredo.

Initially, Lacson said that Robredo feared that some supporters may still vote for her if they withdrew by April, or a month before election time.  He said that the Vice President was basing this on a previous incident when she tried to run for a local post, then withdrew, but still had huge amounts of voters picking her

Lacson said after that initial talks, Senator Franklin Drilon who is with the Liberal Party — Robredo’s party — initiated another round of discussions.  According to him, Robredo’s team approached him with the same exact proposal that he made, which she earlier denied.

“The second time we talked, it was upon the initiative of Senator Drilon, they came back with that same offer, and at that time, I told Senator Drilon in front of the Vice President ‘I made that offer.  That was before when I had to talk only to a few people, a few supporters,” Lacson said.

“Now it is a different ball game because so many people have already been involved in my campaign, high profile businessmen, low-key businessmen, even I mentioned the names of Secretary Rolando Puno who’s already on board,” he added.

READ: No turning back: Sotto says opposition unity talks over after no agreement reached 

INQUIRER.net has sought the side of Robredo and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) regarding Lacson’s claims, but they have not replied as of posting time.

Lacson was one of the presidential aspirants whom Robredo talked to in hopes of forming a united front against administration-backed candidates: other personalities include Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

However, the talks eventually failed as all three filed their respective COCs before the Commission on Elections.

According to Robredo, she also sought the presidency as there were key differences with the other candidates which they could not agree upon.

The talks with other candidates actually convinced her to run, because she realized that she could not forge an alliance with the other possible candidates.

READ: Robredo reveals reason for breakdown of unity talks with other candidates 

READ: Robredo says talks with other bets convinced her to run for president 

The 2022 presidential race is shaping up to be a tight race, with big names making big moves in recent days.  Aside from Robredo, Lacson, Moreno, and Pacquiao, labor leader Leody de Guzman, former senator Bongbong Marcos, Senator Bong Go, and retired Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. are also seeking the presidency.

JPV