MANILA, Philippines — Independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson offered a plan to end the culture of violence that has plagued Abra and other provinces tagged as election hotspots.
Lacson, who was in Abra on Tuesday, paid a courtesy call on Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian where they prayed for peaceful polls in Abra on May 9.
“We talked and I asked for prayers that this time, elections will be peaceful in Abra,” Lacson said in a mix of English and Filipino, during a talk with reporters in Abra Tuesday.
Lacson said he also has a plan to stop the bloodshed in these areas, citing his experience as chief of the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001.
“I have done this when I headed the Philippine National Police – pay special attention not only to Abra but to areas that have been traditionally and historically prone to violence not only during the election period,” he said.
Lacson said that if he and vice presidential bet Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III are elected into office on May 9, he will take the first step by implementing “without letup” a massive internal cleansing of the bureaucracy.
This is similar to the internal cleansing of the PNP that he implemented, with the ICUs or Inept, Corrupt and Undisciplined cops being either reformed or booted out of the service.
“The strategy we should adopt, I already did when I was Chief PNP – a massive internal cleansing that earned back the trust and respect of the public. It is the same with government. We should scale it up, so the government can win back the public’s trust. There’s no other way – if there’s no trust, how can the people cooperate with the government?” he said.
Lacson likewise stressed it is time to end the culture where “warlords” keep residents poor and ignorant, and always dependent on them.
In the meantime, Lacson called on the PNP to assess the situation in Abra to validate information that local residents are living in fear.
He noted the only peaceful election in Abra was in 2013 when the PNP, upon Lacson’s request, assigned now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to head the Cordillera regional police.
“That was the first and only time where there was no bloodshed during elections in Abra. The PNP could have made that a template for peace and order during elections),” he said.
While in Abra, Lacson received a commitment from his supporters who are running for local posts in Abra – including members of Partido Reporma who continue to support him – that they would not tolerate violence.
These included former Abra Governor Eustaquio Bersamin, who is running for governor under Reporma but who continues to support him.
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