FILE PHOTO: Senator Panfilo Lacson, then Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, was the guest of honor at the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming on Feb. 15, 2014. FRANCES MANGOSING/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) will confer presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his contributions in his over five decades in public service.
The PMAAAI Board of Directors unanimously voted to give Lacson the award for his “exemplary and unblemished service to the country” characterized by his “faithful adherence to the virtues of Courage, Loyalty, and Integrity,” according to a statement released by the senator’s office on Friday.
In a letter dated Dec. 15, 2021, Cavalier Amado Espina, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of the PMAAAI, said Lacson has established a “reputation beyond reproach” and is “worthy of emulation.”
Lacson, who graduated from the PMA in 1971, is set to receive the award in a ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 19, during the annual Alumni Homecoming and Parade of the PMA at the Borromeo Field, Fort General Gregorio del Pilar in Baguio City.
The senator will accept the award with fellow cavaliers who will also be recognized for their achievements and contributions.
“Ako, 50 years, tatanggap nga ako ng Lifetime Achievement Award sa PMA sa February. Ang tingin ko, parang tama na ‘yung na-i-contribute ko sa ating society. Pero look, sayang naman siguro ‘yung experience ko [at] ‘yung track record ko,” Lacson said in a previous television interview.
(I have been in government for 50 years. In fact, I’m about to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the PMA this February. I thought I have contributed enough to our society. But, look, maybe I can still do more with my experience and track record.)
“I’m always proud of my track record, my integrity, and my competence. I don’t mean to brag but I know myself; I know my limits and I know what I can (still do for our country),” he added.
In 2020, Lacson also received a Cavalier Award for Public Administration from the PMAAAI for “spearheading the fight against corruption in the Senate by enacting laws that focused on promoting transparency and public accountability in government,” his statement further read.
Lacson, who is running for president under Partido Reporma, will embark on a two-day visit to Baguio City starting Friday with vice presidential running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
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They are scheduled to hold dialogues with multi-sectoral groups to introduce themselves and their platforms of anti-corruption and good governance.
They also plan to visit the nearby provinces of Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija before going back to Metro Manila to begin the Southern Luzon leg of their national campaign next week. They will be accompanied by their senatorial candidates.