The camp of independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Friday reiterated its call for the people to vote conscientiously in the May 9 elections.
Lacson’s spokesman, former party-list representative Ashley ‘Ace’ Acedillo, said the electorate should go for the most qualified candidate to lead the country.
“Huwag po tayong mag-isip na para po tayong tayang sugarol na dapat tumaya (lang) tayo doon sa siguradong mananalo. Ang pagboto po natin ay hindi po (gaya ng) taya sa sugal. Ang pagboto po natin ay naaayon dapat sa ating prinsipyo,” said Acedillo in a radio interview.
Acedillo pointed out that even in low stakes games, the perceived winner In the election still has a high probability of losing despite building seemingly insurmountable leads, thus the people should avoid making impulsive decisions, especially during elections where their lives and future are at stake.
“Sinasabi natin hindi masasayang ang boto ng taumbayan sa dalawang pinaka-kwalipikado at sa dalawang pinaka-eksperyensyado at ‘di hamak na may integridad na dalawang lider natin,” he said, referring to Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III.
“To be quite fair and to be quite frank, kung titingnan po talaga natin, kung (if we’re only going to look at their qualifications) experience-wise, integrity-wise and track record-wise, wala na talagang tatalo dito sa tandem ng Lacson-Sotto (no one beats the Lacson-Sotto tandem),” Acedillo added.
He cited, as a case in point the ‘leadership by example’ manifested by Lacson when he was chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 1999 to 2001 when he reformed the entire organization, deemed one of the toughest agencies to transform. Acedillo also pushed back the continuing propaganda of Lacson’s opponents and their supporters that the 2022 race for the presidency is now only down to two contenders, saying it was totally different from the warm public reception they are still getting on the ground.
“Pilit po nating nilalabanan ‘yang narrative na ‘yan dahil that is not what the ground feedback is telling us. Marami pong sumusuporta pa rin. Dati nga sabi tahimik lamang sila, but now, they have made it a point to be heard, to be seen and to be felt,” according to Lacson’s spokesman.
“So, binabasag po natin ‘yung narrative po na ‘yan. Hindi lamang po sa dadalawang kandidato ang eleksyong ito. May iba pa pong alternatibong kandidato na nandiyan po at mas kwalipikado (nang) ‘di hamak,” Acedillo added.