Lacson calls off North sorties in favor of Abra visit

BANGUED, Abra — Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson has called off his campaign activities in Ilocos Sur and Norte to make time for his visit in this province.

Lacson’s initial schedule showed that he was supposed to visit the two Ilocos Region provinces on Tuesday but his scheduled activities were cancelled.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Singson was also supposed to host a lunch for Lacson at his family’s restaurant, which is located at the famed Calle Crisologo in Vigan, according to the senator.

“I requested to call it off kasi gipit sa oras [because of the lack of time] considering that the Bersamins, the Reporma candidates in Abra who decided to stick with me are hosting an early lunch, followed by a courtesy call to the bishop to be capped by a town hall meeting in Bangued,” Lacson told reporters when asked regarding the cancellation of his activities in the said provinces.

To recall, Lacson earlier parted ways with the Partido Reporma after party president former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and the group’s Davao del Norte bloc decided to endorse another presidential contender.

“I’m sorry but I gave priority na makasama ko yung Reporma…nag-lunch kami nagkumustahan kung ano yung nangyayari rito sa Abra at marami silang nai-share na mga [to be with my former partymates in Reporma…we had lunch, asked how each other is doing and talked about what is happening here in Abra, they shared a lot of] information which we would like to take up with concerned authorities,” Lacson said in an ambush interview before his town hall meeting with Abra tobacco farmers here.

Lacson’s scheduled activities in another Ilocos Region province, La Union, for Tuesday morning were also cancelled.

On Monday, Lacson was in Tarlac and Pangasinan with his vice presidential running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and one of their senatorial bets, former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol.

Sotto, meanwhile, is embarking on a separate schedule from Lacson. The Senate president is currently in Zambales for an event with his partymates at the Nationalist People’s Coalition, where he serves as chairman.

JPV