Lacson chides LP spokesman: Don’t tell me what to do

Senatorial aspirant Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. VINCENT CABREZA/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON FILE PHOTO

Independent senatorial aspirant Panfilo “Ping” Lacson took a swipe at a spokesman of the Liberal Party (LP), who reportedly warned him and other non-members from endorsing other presidential and vice presidential candidates other than the party’s standard-bearers.

“I value my word as I value my integrity and honor. I need not be told and worse, in a veiled threat manner that some people want to project,” Lacson said in a text message to reporters on Wednesday.

The former senator was reacting to LP spokesman and Marikina City Representative Romero “Miro” Quimbo’s reported statement that non-members, who were included in the slate could be endorsed by other candidates but they could not endorse other presidential and vice presidential candidates other than the party’s standard-bearer, former Interior secretary Mar Roxas and his running mate, Camarines Sur representative Leni Robredo.

Lacson is an independent candidate but the LP included him in its senatorial slate.

READ: LP bares slate dubbed ‘Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid’ | Lacson: Being guest candidate a ‘privilege’

“Sec. Mar Roxas and I talked twice about my inclusion in the LP coalition ticket. So did Sen. Grace Poe and I discuss a couple of times about my adoption in their coalition. On both counts, I was very transparent to each of them about my talks with the other party,” he said.

Poe, who is running for president next year, was herself a guest candidate of the LP-led coalition when she first ran and won a Senate seat in 2013.

“I know exactly what I have committed to do and not to do when I agreed to be adopted by them. Having said that, I think it is the height of arrogance to decline an invitation to be a guest candidate of any legitimate and serious presidential candidate, not to mention that I consider it a huge privilege to be offered such,” Lacson said.

“That is also the reason why, when Vice President Jojo Binay made a similar request when we saw each other at the Comelec office during the filing of our COC’s (certificates of candidacy) in the early hours of Oct 12, I did not decline his invitation as well,” the former senator added. IDL