Ping Lacson: Don’t waste votes on incompetents and thieves

By: Dennis Gutierrez - 3 years ago

Sen. Panfilo Ping Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — Independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson appealed to Filipinos going to the polls this May 9 not to waste their votes on incompetents and thieves.

“Palagi naming naririnig – sayang daw ang boto sa mas kwalipikado dahil baka hindi lang manalo. Ang totoong sayang na boto ay para sa hindi karapat-dapat manalo at sa mga magnanakaw na dapat walang karapatang maluklok sa pwesto,” Lacson said in his closing statement at the Commission on Elections’ PiliPinas Presidential Debates.

(We always hear Filipinos saying they won’t waste their votes for the qualified because they have little chance of winning. But the real waste is in voting incompetents and thieves who don’t deserve the posts.)

Earlier, Lacson had lamented that Filipinos have had to bear the consequences of voting for the wrong candidates.

He said Filipinos should get rid of the “survey mentality” or voting for less-than-qualified candidates only because the surveys indicate they have a good chance of winning.

“Maawa na po tayo sa ating mga kababayang Pilipino,” Lacson said Sunday night.

(Let us take pity on our fellow Filipinos)

Also, Lacson stressed that the Filipino is worth fighting for, despite the “money politics” in this campaign, along with the accompanying opportunism and treachery.

“With the rigors and influence of money politics in this campaign, and the opportunism and treachery that go with it, I keep asking this question: Is the Filipino still worth fighting for? Each time, I always get the same answer: Yes, the Filipino is worth fighting for,” he said.

“Mahal ko ang aking bayan. Handa kong ipagtanggol laban sa mga dayuhang mananakop at sa mga may kapangyarihan na nagsasamantala sa mga kapos-palad nating mga kababayan,” he added.

(I love my country. I am ready to defend it against foreign invaders as well as the powerful who prey on the poor.)