Running for other positions is out of Senator Panfilo Lacson’s choices as he disclosed on Tuesday that he would either run for president or retire in 2022.
“It is between running for the presidency or retirement ang iniisip ko,” Lacson said in a virtual interview.
On Monday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he will be Lacson’s running mate if the latter decides to seek the country’s highest post.
Lacson confirmed this, saying it is already “cast in stone” that Sotto will be his running mate if he will run for president.
But Lacson maintained that he is still “processing very carefully” if he will gun for the post, considering the weight of responsibility that the next chief executive will face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing national debt, and the West Philippine Sea issue, among others.
Lacson said he is not considering running for senator again in 2022.
“‘Yung pagbalik sa Senado kasi nakatatlong terms na rin ako at sa tingin ko sa legislative work, I can say I’ve done my part pagdating doon. Tsaka maraming frustrations,” he said.
(I can say that I’ve done my part in the Senate and the legislative work. I also have my own frustrations.)
“Collegial eh. Marami kang gustong gawin na hindi mo kayang gawin kasi isang vote ka lang,” he said when asked to enumerate his frustrations.
(It's a collegial body. I have so many things that I wanted to do but I cannot pursue it because I'm just one vote.)
Lacson also eliminated the vice presidential post from his choices, saying he is more effective in terms of implementing the laws.
“At this point of my career, parang hindi na tugma. At tsaka ang tingin ko sa experience ko bilang naging hepe ng Philippine National Police, mas magiging effective ako kung ako mismo ang nagi-execute ng mga batas kasi law enforcement ang pinanggalingan ko,” Lacson explained.
(At this point in my career, it is no longer aligned to what I wanted. Also, from my experience as chief of the PNP, I will be more effective if I will be the one who will implement the law.)
He added that consensus-building was one of his “handicaps” and he is not open to compromise especially on major political issues.
Lacson further disclosed that there are three political personalities who had talked to him and hinted if he can run as vice president for their slate. He, however, declined and suggested Sotto to be their running mate instead if he will not run for president.
Lacson declined to give a definite date on when he will decide to run or not for president. He said Sotto will be the first one to know about his decision.
In April, a Pulse Asia survey result showed that Lacson was among the top 10 names who was considered as a preferred candidate for president for the May 2022 elections.
Meanwhile, results of the Pulse Asia survey released in December 2020 showed that Sotto had ranked third among preferred vice presidential candidates. —KBK, GMA News
This article Lacson says he'll either run for president or retire in Eleksyon 2022 was originally published in GMA News Online.
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