Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during a press conference at the Ukraine’s embassy in Paris on April 16, 2021. (File photo by BERTRAND GUAY / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino voters can learn from Ukraine when it comes to selecting a deserving leader who can guide the country through numerous crises, Partido Reporma presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Sunday.
Speaking at the CNN Philippines’ “Presidential Debates 2022,” Lacson said Filipinos must also examine who among the candidates has the ability, honesty, and bravery to take the country’s problems head-on as president for the next six years until 2028, similar to the leadership shown by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“This is why I salute President Zelensky because he, for me, is a living hero. Every time I see him, chills run up my spine, because he’s right there with his soldiers, ready to die for his country,” he said in Filipino.
“That’s a true leader,” Lacson added.
Like Ukraine, the Philippines also needs a leader who is prepared to lay down his life for his country, he said.
Lacson made the statement in response to a question on whether he agreed with the Philippine government’s neutral stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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