Alvarez won’t push Lacson to backout from race: Let him decide

FILE PHOTO: Sen. Panfilo Lacson (left) and Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez. INQUIRER FILES

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte — Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez is not planning to ask Panfilo Lacson to reconsider his presidential bid, saying such a choice is for the senator to decide.

Alvarez said this during a press briefing at the provincial capitol on Thursday, following his endorsement of Vice President Leni Robredo for president.

Alvarez said his decision to back Robredo’s run for the presidency was a personal choice.

Lacson was the standard-bearer of Partido Reporma, where Alvarez serves as president. Lacson left as party chairman before Alvarez announced his support for Robredo’s presidential bid.

“Alam mo, personal decision kasi ‘yan. Hindi po madali ‘yong desisyon na ‘yon,” said the former speaker of the House of Representatives.

“Ako naman, ayoko personally kumbinishin si Senator Ping at siguro mas maganda na hayaan natin siyang mag-desisyon kung ano talaga ‘yung para sa bayan na mas maganda,” he added.

When asked if he had talked to Lacson before making the decision to back Robredo, Alvarez said they only discussed the matter through text messages.

“Hindi kami nakapag-usap na ni Sen. Ping nang personal, pero through text messages, nag-communicate kami. Dito sa desisyon na ito ay nagusap-usap kami, lahat ng mayors at leaders namin sa probinsya, at ‘yung napagkasunduan namin na susuportahan namin ang kandidatura ni Vice President Leni Robredo,” he said.

Alvarez also explained that he and other Partido Reporma members would have preferred to still support Lacson, but the recent electoral landscape showed that Robredo may be the best bet to prevent the return of the Marcoses – through Bongbong Marcos – to Malacañang.

Pulse Asia’s latest survey conducted February 18-23 shows that Lacson ranks fifth among the leading presidential candidates, garnering the approval of just 2 percent of the adult respondents.

In the same survey, Senator Manny Pacquiao got 8 percent, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagosos obtained 10 percent, Robredo received 15 percent, and Marcos got 60 percent.

Still, Alvarez was all praises for Lacson, citing the senator’s achievements and advocacies. Alvarez even called the former national police chief a defender of the national budget and a proponent of devolving power to local government units.

KGA