Recognizing Cebu as an election battleground, Senator Panfilo Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III vowed to work hard to woo the province’s 3.2 million registered voters.
Lacson is the standard bearer of Partido Reporma, while Sotto is running under the banner of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Both senators will be counting on the assistance of their political allies in the province, including Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, to muster grassroots level of support for their respective electoral bids.
Garcia leads One Cebu, the dominant political party in the province, which has been allied to the ruling PDP-Laban since 2017. One Cebu is expected to shift political alliances this season as cracks between and among PDP-Laban party members continue.
Lacson and Sotto already had a previous meeting with Garcia, who continues to receive political personalities and parties currently participating in the 2022 national elections. She has not made any official endorsement yet.
While an endorsement from Garcia would be welcome, the reform-oriented partners said they are willing to work even harder to get their messages of good governance and anti-corruption efforts across the voters of Cebu.
“If we don’t get her endorsement, I guess we will have to work harder and go down to the grassroots. Like what Senate President Sotto said, what is more powerful are the individual voters, not the endorsement coming from one particular government official or local official,” said Lacson.
“But it doesn’t mean that we do not need the endorsement of Governor Gwen,” added Lacson.
Sotto said there are over 40 local government officials in Cebu whose constituents would benefit from their Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program because the potential development plans that would be supported by their proposal are not confined to urban areas.
They also visited their campaign HQs to lead quick inauguration ceremonies, hold a joint press conference, and personally meet some of their supporters who appeared on-site to give both senators the warmest welcome possible.
Sotto traces his roots to Cebu where his father and grandfather both became prominent political figures. The provincial government hospital Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City was named in honor of his late grandfather.
Lacson, meanwhile, was hailed as an adopted son of the province via Cebu City Council Resolution passed in 1991. He served as commander of the Cebu Metropolitan District Command (Metrodiscom) from 1989 to 1992 during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.
Meanwhile, Lacson said before the next leader can lead the Philippines out of its predicament, he must first be elected by the voters.
This was stressed by Lacson as he noted the country faces a whopping P13.42-trillion debt by the time the next administration takes over.
“Each and every living Filipino, rich or poor, young or old will pay for it. The heavy burden falls on the country’s next leaders. The responsibility is on the voters to choose those leaders. Think of the next generation. Be wise. Be responsible,” Lacson said on his Twitter account.
Earlier, Lacson said the national debt is one of the humongous problems the next leader will face – along with COVID-19’s impact on health and the economy, unemployment, corruption, and the dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
Lacson said he plans to address these problems with a no-nonsense leadership anchored on discipline and leadership by example.
He said he will also initiate much-needed budget reforms to make sure public money is spent properly, as well as downloaded to the local government units so they can implement their priority programs, activities and projects.
Lacson and Sotto have anchored their campaign on presenting before the public their solutions to the problems plaguing the nation.