Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson during a town hall meeting in Abra on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Photo from Lacson-Sotto media bureau
BANGUED, Abra — Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday admitted that winning votes in the Ilocos Region, the turf of one of his rivals, will be “difficult.”
He, however, said it is “not impossible.”
“Yes. Historically, in 2004, I ran for president. Of course ang kalaban noon (my rivals were) GMA [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] and FPJ [Fernando Poe Jr.], nag-No.1 pa ako sa Laoag City; minsan lang ako nagpunta doon, tinalo ko mga mabibigat (I was no. 1 even if I seldom visit there),” Lacson told reporters in an interview here.
This, when asked about the prospects of him securing a substantial amount of votes in the region.
READ: Lacson calls off North sorties in favor of Abra visit
“I was running as independent at the time. Pero let’s see. May lugar na unpredictable nagtataka rin ako biglang no. 1 ako sa Senate [race] o tumakbo ako for presidency last time. So let’s see let’s wait for May 9. I’m a pragmatic person. I know it’s difficult to win given the, but it is not impossible,” he added.
(I was running as independent at the time. But let’s see. There are places that are unpredictable where I end up being no. 1, either during the Senate race and my presidential bid last time. So let’s see let’s wait for May 9. I’m a pragmatic person. I know it’s difficult to win given the, but it is not impossible.)
Lacson earlier in the day said he had to call off his schedule in Ilocos Region provinces—La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte—due to time constraints.
Instead, he went straight to Abra to meet with his former party mates who stuck with the senator when he parted ways from Partido Reporma.
Lacson to reschedule visit to Ilocos Region
Lacson is eyeing to reschedule his visit to the Ilocos Region.
“Chances are ire-reschedule namin doon (Chances are we will reschedule it),” he said.
According to Lacson, he apologized to San Nicolas Mayor Alfredo Valdez for having to cancel his schedule in the city, where he was set to hold a town hall meeting.
“Ako nagpa-sorry sa kanya last night kung pwede ipagpaliban kung kaya pa mag-reschedule (I extended my apologies to him, if we can reschedule it). He understood naman,” the senator said.