Former Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez welcomes Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday in Davao del Norte. Alvarez announced that Partido Reporma is withdrawing its support for Sen. Panfilo Lacson and will instead back the presidential bid of Robredo. (VP LENI MEDIA BUREAU)
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson was informed of the decision of the Partido Reporma bloc in Davao del Norte to back the bid of Vice President Leni Robredo through text messaging, Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez disclosed.
In an interview on Thursday, Alvarez was asked about how Lacson was informed about the party bloc’s withdrawal of support for him.
Alvarez, who serves as Partido Reporma’s president, said the conversations happened through text messages.
“Walang time na pumunta dyan na personally pumunta akong Manila. Nandito ako sa probinsya busy naman ako sa kampanya ng local candidates namin,” Alvarez told the said in a televised The Chiefs interview.
“Mga two weeks ago, nasa Manila ako at kausap ko si Senator Ping at si Senate President [Vicente] Sotto III at medyo meron na akong paramdam na sabi ko mukhang malapit na yung Mayo at oras de peligro na, hindi pa rin tayo nagkakaroon ng traction,” he added.
Alvarez said Lacson was later on informed of the decision of the party bloc to support the presidential bid of Robredo instead through text.
“Hindi naman ganoon na goodbye. Sinabi ko lang na nakapag-desisyon na yung mga kandidato, LGUs dito sa [Davao] Del Norte na lipat na suporta kay Vice President Leni Robredo,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said Lacson did not respond to the text message, adding that he only knew of the senator’s decision to leave the party during a press conference on Thursday.
Lacson confirmed to INQUIRER.net on Friday that he was informed of the party’s decision through a text message.
Lacson on Thursday announced his resignation as Partido Reporma chairman, saying he had sensed the withdrawal of his party’s support for him more than a month earlier.
Shortly after Lacson resigned from the post, Alvarez, who serves as the party president, announced that they are now backing the presidential bid of Robredo.
Alvarez said he believes in the leadership qualities of Lacson but there are two frontrunners right now — Robredo and former senator Bongbong Marcos — and he prefers to support the Vice President.
Alvarez said ‘decisive action’ is needed right now with little time left before the 2022 national elections.