Lacson camp optimistic there’s ‘nowhere to go but up’ despite low survey ranking

FILE PHOTO: Former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The campaign manager of Senator Panfilo Lacson remains optimistic about the chances of the former police chief in the May 2022 presidential race despite his current low survey ranking.

Former interior secretary Ronaldo Puno said in a statement Thursday that the senator should already be included in the list of presidents he helped win in the elections, believing that being at the bottom means there would be no other way to go but up.

Puno, who used to be a foe of Lacson, is a long-time political strategist that had helped former presidents Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Sa survey, nalalagay tayo sa baba. Pero ang nasa baba, walang pupuntahan kundi pataas,” he said.

(Some surveys place us at the tail. But when you’re at the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up.)

“Ang sabi nila nakagawa daw ako ng tatlong Presidente. Sana sinabi nila apat: Ping Lacson,” he added.

(They say I helped ‘make’ three Presidents. They should have added a fourth: Ping Lacson.)

In Pulse Asia’s latest survey released Wednesday, Lacson lagged behind other presidential aspirants, placing fifth with only six percent of the respondents’ voting for him if elections were held during the survey period of December 1-6.

But the same Pulse Asia survey reveals that in terms of second options for president, Lacson is second with 17 percent of the respondents still considering him for the top post in government.

READ: Pulse Asia’s December survey: Marcos and Duterte-Carpio team is top choice

Puno then explained why people should consider Lacson among their choices, as he opted to help the senator even if they were longtime political enemies.

The former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief had clashed with Lacson when the lawmaker was at the helm of the Philippine National Police during the Estrada administration.

The PNP is an attached agency of DILG.

Puno recalled that their conflict even got to a point where they resorted to the filing of cases in court just to resolve matters. However, he said, his respect for Lacson — whom he called the most honest and most sincere public official he has seen — never waned.

“Si Ping Lacson, buong buhay ko sa gobyerno nang magkasama kami, magkaaway kami… Ang haba ng history namin, parang dalawang magkaklase sa isang eskwelahan na nag-a-aspire maging No. 1, ‘di ba lagi silang magkaaway,” Puno said.

(When Ping Lacson and I served together in the government, we butted heads. We have a long history, like two classmates gunning for the top spot, they always compete, right.)

“Sa tagal ko sa gobyerno, 25 years old nasa gobyerno na ako, wala akong nakilala – wala, wala – na kasing-linis, kasing-tino, kasing-dedicated, kasing-sincere at kasing-honest as Ping Lacson,” he claimed. “Ito yung pinakamagaling na pagkakaibigan na nagmula sa away. Walang rason bakit kami magkaibigan. Walang rason bakit nandito ako ngayon.”

(I joined the government when I was 25 years old. Throughout my stint in government, I have never met anyone as clean, level-headed, dedicated, sincere, and honest as Ping Lacson.  This is the best kind of friendship, one that started on the wrong foot. There was no reason for us to be friends. There was no reason for me to be here.)

Lacson has remained mum about the survey results, while his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, made a short message when asked to react to the latest Pulse Asia polls.

Sotto said Pulse Asia’s December survey is a good guide for that particular week.

“Good guide. It’s a snapshot of that particular week,” he said in a text message.

Sotto, who was a frontrunner in earlier surveys for vice president, was overtaken by President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. The Senate leader got 30 percent of the respondents’ approval while Dutete-Carpio garnered 45 percent in the newest Pulse Asia survey.

KGA