Former Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said he would support the presidential bid of Manuel Roxas II after Senator Grace Poe dropped him from her senatorial slate in favor of actor Edu Manzano.
Interviewed over ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart,’’ Lacson disclosed he no longer belonged to the senatorial ticket of the tandem of Poe and her running mate Senator Francis Escudero.
The Poe-and Escudero tandem has scheduled a Thursday announcement on their 12 senatorial candidates.
Lacson, who filed his candidacy as an independent candidate, recalled that Poe called him up last Friday and asked if it was OK that he be removed as a guest candidate from her senatorial ticket to give way to another candidate.
“And I said yes, no problem with me. In the first place, being invited to be a guest candidate is a privilege and it can be withdrawn anytime,” he said.
After they talked last Friday, Lacson said he thought he was no longer part of Poe’s senatorial line-up.
“It is fine with me. I said fine with me. It’s of course a privilege to be a guest candidate of any coalition,” said Lacson who also served as rehabilitation czar under the Aquino administration.
Lacson reiterated that Poe called him up last Friday, and requested that I be substituted by Edu Manzano.
Sought for comment, Poe said that at that time, they were still finalizing the slate. They took into account the fact that the former senator (Lacson) was already endorsed by two major parties the administration Liberal Party and the United Nationalist Alliance.
“Senator Ping is a strong and worthy candidate and we were considering also those that had no party or less resources who would welcome our support In fact, Toots Ople is also one of those we spoke with,” Poe said in a separate text message, referring to senatorial bet Susan Ople.
When questioned if Lacson and Ople would no longer be part of her slate, Poe said she would just make the announcement soon.
In vouching for Roxas, Lacson said he saw him as the “last person standing” in next year’s presidential race because he has no issue of corruption, disqualificafion or health.
“We don’t know what awaits Senator Poe because he has a disqualification case or DQ case. Vice-President (Jejomar) Binay has many issues. Of course, Senator Miriam (Santiago) – I really don’t know. I can only wish her good luck and good health.”
Lacson said he is prepared to campaign for Roxas because he believed in his integrity and advocacy.
“What’s important to me is shared advocacy. for me, it is important that I believe in th candidate. I will campaign with him, I will campaign for him not because I’m being told to campaign for him, but because I believe in him,” stressed Lacson.
He did not join the Liberal Party (LP) because many people find the party too “exclusive” by claiming the “tuwid na daan” as their own.