‘Lacson for President’ movement launched

The presidential election is still 15 months away but at least one campaign is already underway.

A group of supporters of Sen. Panfilo Lacson launched yesterday a movement to make sure that the former national police chief wins the presidency next year.

"We are inspired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s simple but powerful call... We are highly motivated by his outstanding record of achievement especially those which pertain to instilling discipline among those who are entrusted to serve the public," Citizens’ Movement for Order (CMO) said in a statement.

The group kicked off their campaign with a press conference in a Quezon City restaurant.

"We now therefore hereby join (Lacson) in his crusade and commit our respective organizations and members to make him president in 2004."

One of the organizers, Alain del Pascua, said CMO is composed of several organizations and lobby groups representing various causes – such as street vendors, Muslims, jeepney drivers and teachers.

Del Pascua claimed they formed CMO on their own initiative and added that "even the senator does not know about it."

Other groups in the coalition are Citizens Movement for Justice and Economy, Environment and Peace; Metro Manila Vendors Association; Philippine Confederation of Drivers Organizations-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization; Save Ilocos Sur Movement; Kaunlaran ng mga Barangay Tanod sa Pilipinas; Muslim Young Professionals and Businessmen Association of the Philippines; and Adamson University Faculty and Employees Union.

A group of jeepney drivers and street vendors said they support Lacson because he "weeded out" corrupt traffic police officers who were mulcting them when he headed the Philippine National Police during the administration of deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Buddy Garbanzos, JEEP president, predicted that the ruling Lakas-NUCD political party will have difficulty choosing a presidential bet who can give Lacson "a good fight" in next year’s polls.

Lakas was thrown into a quandary last year when President Arroyo, who co-chairs Lakas, unexpectedly announced on Dec. 30 that she was withdrawing from the 2004 presidential race.

In 1998, Estrada appointed Lacson as national police chief. Lacson resigned on Jan. 21, 2001, after Estrada’s ouster. He ran for the Senate in May 2001 under the deposed leader’s coalition and won.

The government had tried to link Lacson to several high-profile crimes committed by a police task force which he headed when he was still the national police chief.

In 2001, Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, exposed the senator’s alleged wrongdoing, including laundering the proceeds of drug and kidnapping crimes in several overseas banks.

But the government has so far failed to find conclusive evidence.