Lacson-Sotto tandem nixes motorcades: How can you talk to people if you’re moving?

Lacson-Sotto tandem nixes motorcades: How can you talk to people if you’re moving?

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday explained that he and Senator Panfilo Lacson does not conduct caravans to woo voters simply because it could not allow them to talk to the people.

During the Meet the Press forum, Lacson was asked whether their decision to refrain from doing motorcades was a conscious decision and part of their strategy – to which he answered in the affirmative.

Sotto, on the other hand, justified their style saying they try to convince people to pick their tandem by reaching out and talking to them – which would not happen if they are aboard a moving vehicle.

“Ang strategy namin is to try to reach and talk to the people. So hindi kami pass-by, kasi hindi mo makakausap (‘yong tao) eh.  That’s the strategy,” he said.

(Our strategy is to try to reach and talk to the people. So we would not just pass by, because, with that, you can’t talk to the people. That’s the strategy.)

“Either (you talk to) the people themselves or the representatives of the people, ‘yon po ang intention ng Online Kumustahan na hybrid, sapagkat nagpupunta kami mismo doon sa lugar para marinig sila, mapakinggan natin kung ano ‘yong sinasabi nila, at marinig din nila kung ano ang sinasabi namin,” he added.

(Either you talk to the people themselves or the representatives of the people, that’s the intention of our Online Kumustahan which is in a hybrid system, as we visit the places itself to hear their concerns, hear their grievances, and at the same time, for them to hear our messages.)

Lacson and Sotto will run for president and vice president, respectively, in the May 2022 elections.

Further, Lacson explained, their tandem refrains from engaging in activities that lead to crowding which may risk the health of the people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He even cited an instance when tricycle drivers were not allowed to enter an event venue because the area already reached its permitted capacity. He said it would not have been a problem if there was no COVID-19.

“If you noticed, nililimit namin ‘yong crowd kapag meron kaming Online Kumustahan ‘di ba?  Katunayan ‘yong nakaraan namin sa Quezon City, sa Eton, ‘yong TODA, ang daming nasa labas doon, hindi pinayagan at ‘yon, nagpapaumanhin na rin kami kasi hindi lahat na-accomodate,” Lacson said.

(If you noticed, we have been limiting our crowd during every Online Kumustahan, right? As a matter of fact, last time in Quezon City, at Eton, a lot of tricycle drivers and owners were left outside and not allowed to enter. There, we asked for understanding because we were not able to accommodate everybody.)

“Hindi dahil sa ayaw i-accomodate kundi maba-violate ‘yong physical distancing. Kaya kung hindi man nakapasok — I think mga nasa 1,500 at least ‘yong naiwan sa labas — kasi nga kung papapasukin lahat ‘yon, eh medyo baka maging super spreader,” he added.

(Not because we don’t want to accommodate them; rather, it may violate physical distancing rules. That’s why if they were not able to enter — I think at least 1,500 were still outside — it was because if we allowed all of them to go inside, we might have a super spreader event.)

Lacson said they do not want to be the reason why COVID-19 numbers would rise again, especially since infections have been constantly on a downward trend.

“So kami mine-maintain namin ‘yong disiplina not only for whatever reason, kundi ayaw naming mag-contribute pa kasi pababa na nang pababa ‘yong positivity rate natin, tapos tayo pa ‘yong makaka-likha ng pagtaas ulit, ‘pag spike ulit, eh ‘yon ‘yong ang iniiwasan namin,” he explained.

(So we are maintaining the discipline not only for whatever reasons, but because we do not want to contribute more COVID-19 cases especially when our positivity rate has been going down, and then we would be the reason for increases and spikes?  No, that’s what we’re avoiding.)

The questions posed to Lacson and Sotto came a day after Bongbong Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio held a caravan in Quezon City, which caused a traffic jam along Commonwealth Avenue.

Former Rep. Arnel Ty, who is now treasurer of Lacson’s Partido Reporma, criticized the event for inconveniencing the public who expected light traffic on Wednesday, December 8, a non-working holiday to commemorate the feast of immaculate.

Lacson said earlier that while they refrain from making criticisms, they allow other members of their parties to make remarks, especially if they themselves experienced the discomfort.

In a statement, the Quezon City government said that the organizers of the caravan refused to coordinate with them regarding the motorcade.

The camp of Marcos Jr. has since apologized.

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Lacson: Voters Have Responsibility of Choosing Right Leaders

 Lacson: Voters Have Responsibility of Choosing Right Leaders

December 10, 2021 - Before the next leader can lead the Philippines out of its predicament, he must first be elected by the voters.

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson stressed this 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, who is running for President under Partido Reporma, says 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 his running mate, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III who is running under the Nationalist People's Coalition, have anchored their campaign on presenting before the public their solutions to the problems plaguing the nation.

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'Homecoming' for Lacson, Sotto as They Visit Cebu

 'Homecoming' for Lacson, Sotto as They Visit Cebu

December 10, 2021 - A homecoming awaits the tandem of Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson and Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III as they head for Cebu on Friday for their Online Kumustahan this weekend.

Lacson, who is running for President under Partido Reporma, recalled how he became an "Adopted Son of Cebu" for his no-nonsense leadership when he served as commander of the then Philippine Constabulary's Cebu Metropolitan District Command (MetroDisCom) from 1989 to 1992.

Sotto, who is running for Vice President under the Nationalist People's Coalition, traces his roots to Cebu.

"Importante ang Cebu sa akin. Adopted son ako ng Cebu dahil na-assign ako riyan as MetroDisCom Commander for 28 months, at nag-request sila kay then President Cory Aquino na i-retain ako (Cebu is very important to me because the people of Cebu made me an adopted son due to my performance as the Philippine Constabulary's Metropolitan District Commander there. When my tour of duty was about to end there, they requested the late former President Corazon Aquino to retain me)," Lacson said at the LACSON-SOTTO weekly media forum.

Lacson's regular two-year term of office as a field commander in Cebu would have ended in August 1991, but with the request to the late Mrs. Aquino to extend his term, he stayed at Cebu MetroDisCom until February 1992, when he was transferred to Laguna.

For his part, Sotto said they want to present their platform of government to residents of Cebu, which he pointed out is a vote-rich province and has a trickle-down effect on other provinces in Central Visayas.

"It's not only important, it is critical. It has a trickle down effect on the entire Region 7. My family on my father’s side comes from Cebu," he said.

Lacson said the "adopted son" tag was in recognition not only of his performance but also of the integrity he showed when he headed the Cebu MetroDisCom.

During his stint there, Lacson recalled he and his men rescued a young kidnap victim, the scion of the Gaisano clan. Lacson and his men rescued the boy safely and neutralized the kidnappers, but declined the victim's grateful relatives' offer of a reward.

"Consistent ako riyan. We did our duty, you don’t have to think of giving reward money to my men. Yan ang tumatak sa kanila (I have been consistent there. We did our duty. They did not have to think of giving reward money to my men. The people of Cebu remembered that)," Lacson recalled.

"Kaya importante on a personal level na mabisita ang Cebu, to remind them adopted son nyo ako baka pwede tangkilikin nyo ako (So it is important to me on a personal level that I visit Cebu , so I can 'remind' the people that I am an adopted son of the province)," he added.

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SEN PING LACSON-ADOPTED SON OF CEBU

SEN PING LACSON-ADOPTED SON OF CEBU

(Please Watch and Share)

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LACSON-SOTTO HEADLINES NGAYON DISYEMBRE 10, 2021

 LACSON-SOTTO HEADLINES NGAYON DISYEMBRE 10, 2021

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NTF-ELCAC PRESS RELEASE

 NTF-ELCAC PRESS RELEASE

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“Naku. Nakakatakot Yan, Military Eh.”- Ang Sagot Ni Sen Gringo Honasan

 “Naku. Nakakatakot yan, military eh.”

People ask us what it’s like to be part of #TeamHonasan - to work for @Gringo_Honasan.

We are happy to work for a great boss who embodies servant leadership. So when he tells us #Magtulungan tayo, it always inspires and reminds us that what we do is in the service of others. That is heartwarming because it motivates us to do great.

It is an honor to work for a boss who we can proudly say is also our friend, a patriot, and a leader that believes in assuring the well-being, and develops leadership qualities in others.

Hindi nyo lang sya nakakasama, but once you do, you will find the funny and humorous side of #GringoHonasan. Kaya naman, #Saludo kami sa kanya.

(Please Watch and Share)

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

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Peace Wins Over Terror! Lacson Welcomes SC Ruling on Anti-Terrorism Act

Peace Wins Over Terror! Lacson Welcomes SC Ruling on Anti-Terrorism Act

December 9, 2021 - Peace wins over terror!

On this note, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson welcomed Thursday the ruling of the Supreme Court on the petitions lodged against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

"Peace wins over terror. Yan ang maliwanag diyan (Peace wins over terror. That much is clear)," Lacson, who is running for President under Partido Reporma, said at the weekly LACSON-SOTTO "Meet the Press" forum.

"Kami masaya bilang principal sponsor, masaya sa decision ng Korte Suprema. Principal author si Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III. Doon natin nakita ang collective wisdom ng magistrates (As the principal sponsor of the measure, I am happy with the decision of the Supreme Court. Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto iII is the principal author of the measure. We have seen the collective wisdom of the magistrates)," he added.

"Hail, hail the Supreme Court!" added Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, who is running for Vice President under the Nationalist People's Coalition.

Lacson noted the Supreme Court decision showed the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is still constitutional overall.

He added the Supreme Court's ruling striking down the provision that the Anti-Terrorism Council may adopt the request by other jurisdictions or supranational jurisdictions for designation means the Philippines is an independent country with its own processes.

"Nakabuti rin yan kasi nakita ng Korte Suprema na independent country tayo, may sariling pananaw, dapat igalang ang sarili nating proseso (The ruling is beneficial because the Supreme Court affirmed our independence as a country, that we have our own processes)," he said.

Lacson added that with the high court's ruling over at least 37 petitions lodged before it, the Philippines now has a chance to remove itself from the Global Terrorism Index.

In past years, he lamented the Philippines was in the Top 10 of the Global Terrorism Index, along with countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, Lacson said the high court's decision will also give the government the legal backbone to fight armed groups, including those involved in recent violence in Mindanao.

This will go hand in hand with development and livelihood programs to deter the return of the armed groups once they are neutralized.

"Isa sa top priorities namin ang peace and order issue di lang sa malalaking siyudad lalo na sa malalayo na di halos abot ng presence ng government (One of our top priorities is peace and order, not only for urban centers but also for remote areas where there is little government presence)," he said.

"Babalik ako sa primary program sa budget reform kung saan dapat ibaba natin ang malaking portion ng national budget sa malalayong lugar para magkaroon ng development and livelihood programs. Of course strong presence ng security forces (I will go back to my primary program of budget reform where a bigger portion of our budget will go to the local governments for their development and livelihood programs)," he added.

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Lacson to candidates: Respect elective positions

 Lacson to candidates: Respect elective positions

SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson has appealed to fellow candidates in the 2022 national elections to respect the positions they are seeking and not make a mockery out of it.

The senator, Partido Reporma chairman, was running for president in next year's polls with his longtime ally, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd, Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) chairman, as his running mate.

In a speech before his fellow Caviteños in General Trias City on Friday, Lacson has urged voters to respect the sanctity of their ballots and think about the future generation when they troop to the polls on May 9, 2022.

He also made a similar appeal to other personalities involved in the 2022 polls "to give the same level of respect to the elective positions they are seeking."

"Voting is not the only thing that is scared, but running for a public office as well. Let us not play with it because we are the ones who will suffer but the next generation," Lacson said in Filipino.

With the Philippines facing tough challenges such as the ongoing pandemic, mass unemployment, economic recession, and foreign incursions in the West Philippine Sea, among others, Lacson said "it behooves every Filipino voter to take the elections seriously."

Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima has filed Senate Bill (SB) 2461 seeking to prevent the abuse of the law governing the substitution of candidates for the national and local elections.

De Lima, a former election lawyer, said SB 2461 aims to concretize into legislation the Commission on Election Rules which provide that substitution due to withdrawal must be more limited in scope than substitution due to death and disqualification.

"The Omnibus Election Code recognizes the importance of our party system and our political parties and therefore provides for an opportunity for political parties to replace their candidates before the elections," de Lima said.

"It can readily be gleaned that the practice of substituting candidates with individuals who were not party members, but only belatedly, even up to the point of taking their oath as party member only on the date of the filing of the substitute certificate of candidacy, is an outright bastardization of the privilege of substitution accorded by the law to political parties," she added.

Lacson also voiced hope that his senatorial bets — former national police chief Guillermo Eleazar, health advocate Dr. Minguita Padilla, and broadcaster Raffy Tulfo — will continue his advocacy of guarding the national budget when they make it to the Senate.

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Lacson to ‘respect, graciously accept’ Supreme Court decision on anti-terror law

Lacson to ‘respect, graciously accept’ Supreme Court decision on anti-terror law

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson, who authored the Anti-Terrorism Act, on Thursday said he will “respect and graciously accept” the Supreme Court’s decision on petitions questioning the constitutionality of the controversial measure.

Lacson made the remark after the Supreme Court’s Public Information Office (PIO) disclosed that the high court has deliberated and voted on the cases against Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The ruling, however, has not been released.

“The fate of the Anti Terrorism Act rests on the collective wisdom of the magistrates of the Supreme Court,” Lacson said on social media.

“Being the principal sponsor of the measure, I will respect and graciously accept whatever ruling will be announced anytime soon. I hope the petitioners do the same,” the senator added.

The Anti-Terrorism Act was signed into law on July 3, 2020, and took effect on July 18. It is the subject of 37 petitions before the Supreme Court.

In confirming that magistrates have already voted on the issue, Supreme Court’s Public Information Chief and spokesperson Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka said that “there is a need to accurately confirm and tally the vote of each Justice in order to ensure the correct resolution of the Court per issue.”

Hosaka said that the Supreme Court’s PIO “will be releasing to the public “an accurate summary of the action of the Supreme Court with respect to the ATA case at the soonest possible time.”

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Sotto vows to solve country's drug problem

 Sotto vows to solve country's drug problem

BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya: Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd said he will spearhead the solving of the country's problem on illegal drugs if he becomes the vice president in 2022.

"There are many things that we can do like removing the government's headache on the problem of illegal drugs and drug abuse because this can be done by the vice president having the clout of the office of the vice president," said Sotto, running mate of presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson in the May 2022 elections.

Sotto said the program of the present government administration when it comes to illegal drugs is not focused on drug abuse.

"Illegal drugs and drug abuse are two different animals. Illegal drugs can be addressed by a supply reduction program, which the current administration has been doing, and that there is still much to be desired as far as prosecution is concerned," he said.

Sotto noted that the present administration's law enforcement on supply reduction has been done from day one, and this will not be successful if it will not be coupled with a very important demand reduction program.

"With a demand reduction program, it means that there is a need to have strong prevention and rehabilitation programs which have to be done nationwide," he said.

He explained that the prevention program can begin in the taught in Grades 5, 6 and 7 on subjects incorporated on drug abuse, or through workshops and seminars on resistance education programs.

"With this, and when these kids reach their majority age of 18, then they will know different kinds of drugs and its ill effects on their lives. They will come to know that their lives will be destroyed. They will know that their future will be shattered including their family and the future of their family," Sotto said.

He said this is the reason why there is a need for a demand reduction program.

"The office of the vice president can go around the country doing that. I did it when I was vice mayor of Quezon City, that is why I was able to bring down the drug cases in Quezon City, and from 54 percent to nine percent in the National Capital Region (NCR) as a result," Sotto said.

He said they were able to do it then in the NCR, and what is most needed now is the drug rehabilitation program.

"The government may be successful in law enforcement against illegal drugs, with prosecution being improved, but still these lack prevention. Therefore, many of our young are curious, addicted and there are many reasons why they fall prey," Sotto said.

He added that those who are already drug dependents needed to be rehabilitated, and then bring them back to society as useful and good citizens.

Sotto said the rehabilitation program of the government is pitiful because drug dependents are brought to the rehabilitation center, and after six months, they become well because they have been removed from the source, but after a while, they go back to where they were.

"Every drug dependent has a different profile from the next guy, so the rehabilitation center should profile them first, and find out whether the program is effective to the dependent, either therapeutic community program, a faith-based program, multidisciplinary program or 12 steps Minnesota program," he added.

Sotto said the rehabilitation center should profile the drug dependent and apply which program is best for them. He said there are only 58 rehabilitation centers nationwide and there are less than 20 which are accredited by the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, Sotto said that if Lacson also wins as president, it will be a council of two.

"There will be no decision-making to be done without them both agreeing," he said.

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