Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (File photo)
MANILA – Presidential bet Senator Panfilo Lacson is relying on his “active and silent supporters”, brushing off his poor showing in the latest Pulse Asia survey.
In a statement on Tuesday, he said casting votes is “the ultimate show of support” from those “who truly believe in good, honest governance”.
“Instead of speculating, it is best for me to just wait for the May 9 election results which is not too long a wait after all,” Lacson said.
Pulse Asia’s poll conducted April 16 to 21 using face-to-face interviews with 2,400 adults showed Ferdinand Marcos Jr. maintain his overwhelming lead with 56 percent, followed by Vice President Leni Robredo’s 23 percent, Senator Manny Pacquiao’s 7 percent, Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso’s 4 percent, and Lacson’s 2 percent.
The survey included registered voters and those “likely to vote”.
Lacson was blanked in Visayas and Mindanao, where he previously got 2 percent.
Be wary of surge
With campaign rallies and miting de avance reaching its peak this week, Lacson likewise urged the public to continue to be on guard against the spread of Covid-19.
“While we are prepared to transition from pandemic to endemic. meaning, parang ordinaryong flu na lamang ang trato, huwag nating kalimutan anytime, baka pasukin na naman tayo at magkaroon ng panibagong surge (meaning, Covid-19 will just be like an ordinary flu, we must not forget that a new variant may enter our borders anytime and cause another surge),” Lacson said at a rally in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday.
He said the country must prepare against future pandemics by investing on research and development and toning down on reckless politicking.
He likewise underscored the importance of keeping social welfare data updated at all times to ensure that the intended beneficiaries of financial assistance from the government would receive their share and the chaotic rollout of state-funded aid would be avoided.
“Maski anong ganda ng intensyon ng mambabatas katulad namin, may limitasyon po ang kaya naming gawin. Ang implementation nanggagaling sa Executive department (No matter how good the intentions of lawmakers are, there will always be limitations to what we can do. The implementation always comes from the Executive department),” he said.
Lacson vowed to pursue the establishment of the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, which would focus on studying new viruses and developing vaccines and other potential cures to overcome them.
In terms of addressing the economic impact of the pandemic, Lacson said he will prioritize the recovery of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises which, according to statistics, are the ones that suffered the most at the height of the Covid-19 crisis.
Metro Manila and at least 88 other areas will remain under Alert Level 1 or “low-risk” status for Covid-19 until May 15. (PNA)
