Partido Reporma standard-bearer Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (File photo)
MANILA – Partido Reporma standard-bearer Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson will be conferred a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) in recognition of his over 50 years of outstanding contributions in government and public service.
In a statement Friday, Lacson cited the Dec. 15, 2021 letter signed by PMAAAI chairperson and chief executive officer Amado T. Espina, Jr. which described him as a person who established a “reputation beyond reproach and worthy of emulation” that brought honor not only to himself and his family but also the entire PMA and its alumni organization.
Lacson will travel to Benguet on Friday, ahead of the annual alumni homecoming and parade of the PMA at the Borromeo Field, Fort del Pilar, Baguio City on Saturday.
The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief has been unanimously voted by members of the Board of Directors of the PMAAAI to receive the award for his “exemplary and unblemished service to the country” characterized by his “faithful adherence to the virtues of Courage, Loyalty, and Integrity.”
In an interview with Bombo Radyo Thursday, Lacson said he is going to accept the award along with his other fellow cavaliers, who will also be recognized for their achievements and contributions during the event.
Other recipients of the award are former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Anselmo Avenido, former PMA superintendent Melchor Rosales and former PNP chief Edgar Aglipay.
Lacson first mentioned about receiving a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in a presidential interview aired last month over the ABS-CBN News Channel, where he avoided a question that would cast his political rivals in a bad light and decided to just speak about his track record.
“Ako, 50 years, tatanggap nga ako ng Lifetime Achievement Award sa PMA sa February. Ang tingin ko, parang tama na ‘yung na-i-contribute ko sa ating society. Pero look, sayang naman siguro ‘yung experience ko [at] ‘yung track record ko (I have been in government for 50 years. In fact, I’m about to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the PMA this February. I thought I have contributed enough to our society. But, look, maybe I can still do more with my experience and track record)," he added.
Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III are banking on their combined 83 years of experience in public service, 42 of which were spent in the Senate, and the rest on various roles under the executive branch.
They have agreed to campaign based on their own merits and not on the deficiencies of their rivals.
In 2020, Lacson already accepted a Cavalier Award for Public Administration from the PMAAAI for spearheading the fight against corruption in the Senate by enacting laws that focused on promoting transparency and public accountability in government.
Lacson added that he is going to maximize his two-day visit to Baguio City by holding dialogues with multisectoral groups to introduce himself and his platforms of anti-corruption and good governance to its residents.
He also plans to take a side trip to nearby provinces of Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija before going back to Manila to begin the Southern Luzon leg of his ongoing national campaign with Sotto and their senatorial candidates next week.
The principle of "leadership by example" has become a rallying cry for the Lacson-Sotto tandem and members of their campaign teams on top of adopting the taglines ‘Aayusin ang Gobyerno at Uubusin ang Magnanakaw’ (‘Fix the Government’ and ‘Get Rid of the Thieves’). (PNA)
