Lacson appeals to rivals: Let’s stop the hate

MOVING ON | Sen. Panfilo Lacson takes his turn to vote at Bayan Luma 1 Elementary School in Imus town, Cavite province. He called on his rivals to set aside “animosities, bitterness, hatred” once a winner is proclaimed. (Photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — When the dust has finally settled and the results are out, presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson wants his rivals to stop the hate as the first step for the country “to move on” and heal from the divisiveness that engulfed the country in the last 90 days.

In an interview moments after casting his vote at Bayan Luma Elementary in Imus town in his home province of Cavite, Lacson called on the candidates to rally their supporters toward reconciliation.

“Good luck to all of us, and whoever wins among us, I hope we can forget the animosities, the bitterness, the hatred … because after all, we cannot move on as a country, as a people if we remain divided,” he said.

On Monday, Lacson, who was among the first in line at the voting precinct cast his vote in less than 10 minutes, expressed relief that he completed the poll campaign healthy and unscathed.

“I’m more relieved than anything else, because I had completed the 90 days [campaign period] and it’s more about being thankful to God that I suffered no injuries, no illness that befell us,” he said.

His feeling of gratitude is not only for himself, but for all his rivals.

“Can you imagine if a tragedy [involving any of the candidates] occurred, we’d be [mourning] instead of being jolly or with a festive atmosphere. And I’m speaking on behalf of all the candidates and I hope the feeling is mutual,” he said.

He called on whoever wins as president to mend the divisiveness among Filipinos following the heated 2022 election season.

“Once you’re the leader of a country, you’re the leader of the whole country; not the leader of your supporters, not the leader of your volunteers. We should all forget everything that was said,” he said.

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