MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday came to the defense of his presidential running mate, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and refuted the remark made by Vice President Leni Robredo against the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
“I really take exception to that statement. Hindi kami kaaway nila [We are not their enemy]. Unless they provoke us,” Sotto told INQUIRER.net when asked regarding the statement by Robredo, who said Lacson was supposedly full of talk but lacked action “on the ground.”
Robredo said this in a “political fast talk” with talk show host Boy Abunda during the 2022 Presidential One-On-One Interviews when asked why Filipinos should not vote for Lacson.
“Pasensya na [I’m sorry] but I cannot take that sitting down!” Sotto added.
Lacson himself rejected Robredo’s remark.
Sotto, in a tweet, pointed out Lacson’s achievements during the latter’s stint as the chief of the PNP and his role in scrutinizing the national budget in the Senate, among others.
“Yun palang pinatino ang PNP, nilabanan ang korapsyon sa pera ng bayan at 18 taon na maraming mahalagang batas na inakda ay walang ginawa! Aba, bago yun ah!” the Senate president said.
Yun palang pinatino ang PNP, nilabanan ang korapsyon sa pera ng bayan at 18 taon na maraming mahalagang batas na inakda ay walang ginawa! Aba, bago yun ah!
— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 26, 2022
“[Yung] author ng national ID system, anti-terror law at napakaraming iba pang batas aside from removing oversized pork barrels in the budget, the criteria of walang nagawa?” Sotto also said.