Lacson-Sotto tandem banks on 500,000 campaign volunteers for election win

FILE PHOTO: Presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson and vice presidential candidate Vicente Sotto III. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The tandem of Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III — who are running for president and vice president, respectively — is banking on its half a million campaign volunteers to secure wins in the May 9 elections.

In a press conference, Lacson and Sotto were asked if they are still confident on getting votes from the silent majority.

Lacson said their campaign volunteers have been to remote areas that some candidates might have not visited.

“As we speak, we have 500,000 volunteers, ‘yung may ID ‘no. So, ‘yun ang kumikilos ngayon, mga looban ‘yung target nila. They don’t concentrate on highways, on major thoroughfares. Ang pinapasok nila talaga mga liblib. Sa tingin namin, ‘yun ang mga bumoboto na hindi nararating ng mga ibang kandidato unless hakutin papunta sa bayan,” he said.

(As we speak, we have 500,000 volunteers, those with IDs. They are mobilizing, targeting the inside of communities. They don’t concentrate on highways, on major thoroughfares. They go to remote areas. We think these are the voters who have not met the other candidates unless they were brought to the towns.)

“May mga ganu’n kami na talagang very sincere and selfless ‘yung kanilang tulong. Ang pinapasok nila, the deepest corners of the municipalities and the barangays. So, we’re banking on that kasi hindi naman lalabas sa survey ‘yun,” the senator added.

(We have sincere and selfless volunteers. They go to the deepest corners of the municipalities and the barangays (villages). So, we’re banking on that because these will not be shown in the surveys.)

Earlier, Sotto said their tandem is eyeing to get the votes of the silent majority, including the soft supporters of other candidates and the “thinking” voters, who he said comprises 45 to 50 percent of the electorate.

/MUF