BLESSED. Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian (right) and supporters pray over Senator Panfilo Lacson in Abra province on Tuesday (April 26, 2022). Lacson thanked Jaucian for the blessing and said he is one with them in praying for the eventual end of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Sen. Lacson Facebook)
MANILA – Presidential candidate, Senator Panfilo Lacson, said his election activities will go on even if he has to be his own campaign manager the rest of the way.
He was in Tarlac and Pangasinan on Monday and in Abra and Ilocos Norte on Tuesday, supposedly dominated by consistent survey frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., an Ilocano., but had to cut short his trip due to scheduling conflicts.
"I took over as campaign manager. I was warned the worst campaign manager is the candidate himself. But exigency ang nangyari. Biglaan nawala ang Reporma so we had to act accordingly (But exigency prompted me after Reporma ceased)," Lacson said in an interview monitored online.
Lacson said he has been working with supporters for his schedule after Partido Reporma split in late March when party president, Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez, shifted support to Vice President Leni Robredo.
Senatorial bets, former police chief Guillermo Eleazar, former Agriculture secretary Manuel Piñol, and Dr. Minguita Padilla, stayed with Lacson.
The campaign period ends May 7, two days before the elections.
"(M)ay nakakatulong ako nariyan (I get help, like), si (former Bureau of Internal Revenue chief) Kim Henares and several other people. Sabi ko (I said) I just want to take a direct hand in the campaign. Siguro kasama na ako siguro sa nag-commit ng lapses. ‘Di ko agad na-review ang itinerary. So ng nakita kong sobrang dikit. Sabi ko teka muna, baka mamatay ako rito (Maybe I am guilty of the apses when I saw the schedule. I didn’t review the itinerary right away. So when I saw the schedule was too tight, I thought it might kill me),” he said.
Lacson said he has learned to be pragmatic about his chances for support from Northern Luzon, noting that in 2004 when he ran for president against eventual winner Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the late actor Ferdinand Poe Jr., he had wide support from the region.
"Nag-No.1 pa ako sa Laoag City. I was running as independent at the time. Pero (But) let’s see. May lugar na unpredictable. Nagtataka rin ako biglang No. 1 ako sa Senate o ng tumakbo ako (There are unpredictable areas so I was surprised I was on top there when I ran for the Senate and) for the presidency last time. So let’s wait and see for May 9. I know it’s difficult to win given the situation but it is not impossible. That’s what I’m saying," he said.
Lacson said he was warmly received in Tarlac and Urdaneta cities, among the areas that benefited from legislated changes in share of taxes from tobacco.
“That’s why I am coming with data. Pati ang kanilang national tax allotment gusto nila kumustahin kasi ‘yan yata ang isang source ng patayan dito (They are also interested in the national tax allotment because that is one source of killings there)," he said. (PNA)
