THE LEADERS WE NEED IN 2022

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

KAPASIDAD, INTEGRIDAD PING 2022 PRESIDENTE

KAPASIDAD, INTEGRIDAD

PING 2022

PRESIDENTE

Enlist private sector, LGU support to conduct frequent and free mass testing — Lacson

Enlist private sector, LGU support to conduct frequent and free mass testing — Lacson

Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson urges the national government to engage private sector organizations and local government units (LGU) in the possible rollout of a free and wider COVID-19 testing program, considering the spate of new viral infections in the country.

Lacson issued this statement amid concerns from the general public over the price of getting an RT-PCR test and the increased demand for some reputable do-it-yourself COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits owing to the threat of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

“Mahal ang testing e. Ang pag-swab test nasa mga P3,700 e, kung private setting ha. Kung pila, siyempre, mas mura-mura. Pero hindi naman lahat ng kababayan natin may panggastos na ganoon,” Lacson said in interview with DWIZ radio over the weekend.

(The price range for testing is quite expensive. The swab test costs around P3,700 when conducted in a private setting. If you fall in line, of course, you get a much cheaper rate. But we know not all of our countrymen have extra money to pay for it.)

“Ako suggestion ko, involve uli natin ‘yung mga local government unit at saka ‘yung pribadong sektor. Kasi willing naman ang private sector na tumulong dito e. Hindi ko lang alam kung bakit parang sa halip na i-encourage natin minsan, ‘di ba, pinapahirapan pa natin?” he added.

(My suggestion is let’s involve our local government units again and even the private sector. Because the private sector is willing to help in this program. I’m just not sure about the reason why sometimes, instead of encouraging it, we are making it hard for them.)

Lacson has been pushing for a free COVID-19 testing program, especially while the nation is still grappling with the ongoing pandemic and its recurring and emerging variants, saying this should be part of the public services offered by the government.

“Dapat libre talaga ‘yung testing, of course, lalo na doon sa mga pangkaraniwang empleyado. Kung may wherewithal naman at kaya naman magbayad, e ‘di pagbayarin. Pero ‘yung alam natin na pangkaraniwan, mga pang-araw-araw na sumusuweldo, offer-an na lang natin ng libre,” he said.

(The testing should really be made free, of course, especially to the ordinary employees. If some people have the wherewithal to pay for it, by all means, let them pay. But to those who we know would rather spend money on other things, the daily wage earners, let’s offer it for free.)

Lacson, meanwhile, reiterated his appeal to all diagnostic testing centers and laboratories conducting and processing these COVID-19 tests to keep their clients informed and updated about the status and results of their samples.

This is to prevent other people from going through the unnecessary stress of waiting for their test results like what happened to him and his wife. They were promised a 12-hour processing time when they first ordered a home service RT-PCR test, but they were made to wait for two days instead.

“Kasi obligasyon ‘yon e. Para kang pumirma ng contract e, nagbayad ka e. Sa akin naman, okay lang na ma-delay, na-ano ko rin ‘yon e, naintindihan ko rin na pwedeng na-overwhelm sila, ‘yung backlog nila masyadong malaki,” Lacson explained.

[Because it’s an obligation (on the part of the lab). It’s like you signed a contract and paid for (the service). On my part, the delay is okay because I understand that maybe they got overwhelmed, they incurred a huge backlog (of samples to process).]

“Sa akin naman ‘yon bang halimbawang tumawag man lang. Nandoon naman ‘yung aking telephone number, mobile number. Tawagan man lang na ‘ay pasensya na ho kayo kasi medyo overwhelmed kami ngayon pero asahan ninyo na mamadaliin namin ito’ o ilalabas ‘yung resulta,” he added.

[I just hoped they extended the courtesy of giving us an update, for example. They had my telephone number, my mobile number. They could have called and said ‘sorry, we were a bit overwhelmed (by the orders we received) today, but rest assured we are working on it to release your results.’]

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Lacson: Checkpoints are here, remember your rights

Lacson: Checkpoints are here, remember your rights

Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson advised civilians Monday to always know their rights now that the government has begun implementing checkpoints nationwide due to heightened restrictions amid the lingering pandemic and the start of the election period.

In a statement, Lacson issued some easy-to-remember guidelines for everyone to consider when passing by these checkpoints and how to deal with law enforcement authorities tasked to implement additional security protocols.

“Checkpoints must be well-lighted, properly identified, and manned by uniformed personnel wearing masks and other protective gears. Upon approach, slowdown, dim the headlights of your car, and turn on interior lights. Wear your mask properly. Never step out of the vehicle,” Lacson said.

Lacson said security officers would normally ask standard questions to citizens under these circumstances. He advised the general public to always be “honest, courteous and firm” when giving their answers.

Routine questions that may be asked include points of departure and destination, address, and whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. It is, therefore, important for citizens to bring their vaccination card at all times and present it to the law enforcement officer if necessary.

Most importantly, Lacson reminded Filipinos to “report violations immediately.” This is to protect the individual rights of citizens against security personnel, who might abuse their authority while manning these checkpoints.

The heightened security protocols through checkpoints and the re-imposition of a nationwide gun ban will last for five months per Commission on Elections (COMELEC) guidelines. This is to prevent cases of election-related violence, which traditionally happen during the campaign period.

Lacson, an incumbent senator and former chief of the Philippine National Police, is making his second presidential bid in the upcoming 2022 national elections under Partido Reporma. He is running in tandem with Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Lacson, Sotto, their respective political parties and allies earlier expressed and are delivering on their commitments to cooperate with both our public and law enforcement authorities for the orderly conduct of their nationwide campaigns leading up to the polls on May 9, 2022.

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Lacson to voters: Track record matters

Lacson to voters: Track record matters

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson has appealed to voters not to fall for promises of candidates, but instead look at their track records before casting votes in the May 9 elections.

Lacson lamented that apathy among Filipino voters these days is palpable as he acknowledged the sad reality that there are people who easily fall for empty promises of some candidates.

“At the risk of making more enemies, I have been guarding against corruption. Most of the privilege speeches I (have) delivered ever since were about the reckless spending of public funds, right? … Track record is important,” Lacson said in Filipino when asked over dwIZ about the seeming lack of interest of Filipinos in addressing corruption as no politician in the history of the country was able to solve the problem.

The three-termer, who has a long history of exposing widespread corruption in the government through his privilege speeches at the Senate that led to the prosecution of some personalities, said he was aware that issues like these do get often ignored by the public at the expense of good governance.

“I keep explaining (about deeper issues), but if you (as voters) are not interested to listen because you would rather pay attention to shallow discussions (of some politicians) replete with promises that were obviously made to be broken, that’s up to you,” he added.

The Partido Reporma standard bearer refused to attribute this frustrating situation to lack of communication, underscoring that while he recognizes that there may be problems between the one who gives the message and the one who is supposed to receive it, “a sea change probably needs to happen for better understanding to take place.”

“Because we choose not to take seriously the issue of corruption anymore. It’s like saying, ‘Well, it is what it is. The system has always been like that.’ If we keep that kind of attitude, then we really have nowhere else to go. It is really difficult, because we know what the basic problems are, we know how big of a problem it is,” he said.

Lacson added that the reason why the country remains deeply mired in debt is that government officials and Filipinos in general never seem to learn from past lessons or build on them.

To the disaffected voters, who keep complaining that all presidential aspirants are the same – only good at making promises every election season, but have no plans to deliver them after – Lacson advised them to go beyond these promises and look at what they have already accomplished instead.

“They say, ‘Oh, because it’s campaign period; promises here, promises there.’ My response to that: ‘I have always been (fighting corruption).’ In my long years of public service – from the military, police and the legislature – not once did I ever accept a bribe,” the senator said.

Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, are campaigning under the platforms of good governance and political reforms to eliminate corruption, in a bid to fix the government to improve the lives of Filipinos.

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LACSON-SOTTO HINDI NAMIN KAYO BIBIGUIN!

LACSON-SOTTO

HINDI NAMIN KAYO BIBIGUIN!

LACSON-SOTTO HEADLINES NGAYON ENERO 10, 2022

LACSON-SOTTO HEADLINES NGAYON ENERO 10, 2022

Senators Lacson, Gatchalian positive for COVID-19; House extends lockdown

Senators Lacson, Gatchalian positive for COVID-19; House extends lockdown

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 7) — Senators Panfilo Lacson and Sherwin Gatchalian, who are both running in the upcoming elections, announced on Friday that they tested positive for COVID-19.

Senatorial reelectionist Gatchalian said he has mild symptoms, while presidential aspirant Lacson said he has experienced sore throat, fever, and colds after he was exposed to his COVID-positive son earlier this week.

Lacson complained of delays in receiving the result of the swab test he took on Tuesday, prompting his family to undergo another test.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives will extend its lockdown until Jan. 16 amid the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco announced on Friday.

He said regular work in the House will resume on Jan. 17, when the legislature is also scheduled to convene for its first plenary session since the holiday break.

Only 20 percent of the workforce in each office in the House will be allowed to report for work starting Jan. 17.

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Comelec lists 11 presidential bets in 2022 polls list

Comelec lists 11 presidential bets in 2022 polls list

MANILA – Eleven presidential aspirants have been included on the current tentative list of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the May 2022 polls.
Based on the list as of Wednesday (Jan. 5), the aspirants that made it to the recent list are Abella, Ernie; Arcega, Gerald; De Guzman, Leody; Domagoso, Isko Moreno; Gonzales, Norberto.

Also on the list are Lacson, Ping; Mangondato, Faisal; Marcos, Bongbong; Montemayor, Jose Jr.; Pacquiao, Manny Pacman; and Robredo, Leni.

For vice presidential aspirants, there are nine names — Atienza, Lito; Bello, Walden; David, Rizalito; Duterte, Sara; Lopez, Manny SD; Ong, Doc Willie; Pangilinan, Kiko; Serapio, Carlos; and Sotto, Vicente.

On the other hand, the tentative number of senatorial aspirants is at 64.

The poll body has yet to come up with the final list of national and local candidates including party-list groups since there are still pending cases as to their respective candidacies.

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'Talks' between Lacson, VP camp denied

'Talks' between Lacson, VP camp denied

UPDATED: JANUARY 07, 2021, 00:02 AM

THE Partido Reporma denied reports that it was negotiating with the camp of Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, who was allegedly seeking to unite the "opposition" ahead of the May 2022 polls.

The Partido Reporma fielded its chairman, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, as its presidential candidate while Robredo is the Liberal Party's standard-bearer.

Partido Reporma President and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon "Bebot" Alvarez dismissed reports on the supposed negotiations between Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd and Robredo's camp.

Alvarez said this was part of the "dirty tricks" employed by their rivals "to make it appear that Lacson would stop his campaign and withdraw his presidential bid."

The former House speaker noted that Lacson was the first to declare his presidential ambition, along with Sotto in September 2021.

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He addressed feelers sent by critics through the media that Lacson should withdraw from the 2022 presidential race due to his supposed low ratings in presidential surveys.

Alvarez said survey results should not be treated as the virtual results of the May 9 elections, as some parties are using these to condition the minds of the electorate ahead of the actual polls.

"'Yung surveys kasi hindi naman 'yan eleksyon (Surveys are not elections themselves)," he stressed.

"People can change two months, one month before, two weeks before, three weeks before, one week before or even a day before [the elections] — they can still change their minds," Alvarez said in Filipino and English.

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He said that the Partido Reporma supporters "remain firmly behind Lacson's candidacy, believing the longtime public servant has the ability, bravery, honesty, and experience to carry out the reforms the country needs."

Alvarez said there is no reason for Lacson to stop his campaign because "there is time left to improve his [survey] numbers all the way to May."

"Of all the candidates — and we have discussed this a lot — Senator Ping is the only one most qualified for the position [of President]," he said.

Alvarez noted that in past elections, some candidates have asked to stop the release of pre-election survey results as these create a "bandwagon propaganda" for the leading candidate to eventually get elected to office.

"But for Lacson and Sotto, whatever the survey results are, they will continue their campaign not only to introduce and push their platform of governance, but also to guide the Filipino voter on the right candidates to choose come election day," he said.

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