Lacson says he won’t fail voters

MANILA, Philippines — Partido Reporma standard bearer Sen. Panfilo Lacson has vowed not to let Filipinos down if elected into office in the May elections.

Lacson made the commitment at the proclamation rally to start his campaign with running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III in Imus City, Cavite on Tuesday night, attended by some 4,000 supporters.

“To my countrymen, I stand before you as a fellow Filipino… If I’m blessed to serve you, I will never let you down. I will not fail you,” Lacson said in Filipino.

“Don’t forget: Lacson-Sotto… will fix the government, fix the lives of every Filipino,” he said.

Physically attending the rally were some members of their senatorial slate, including former senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, former agriculture secretary Manny Piñol, former Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar, former congressman Monsour del Rosario and Dr. Minguita Padilla.

Lacson said the difference between ordinary thieves and “thieves in government” is that the former choose what or who to steal from but the latter steal with impunity and rob Filipinos of their right to quality education, decent jobs and livelihoods, among others and, most of all, their future.

“The problem is we’re the ones who choose who will steal from us. Why? Because we voted for them. It’s mystifying why we vote for those who steal from us,” he said.

The wrong choice will make Filipinos suffer more in the next six years and beyond.

He stressed that he and Sotto have 83 years in combined public service in various agencies in the executive branch and in the Senate.

“And this is something we’re proud of – we’ve never accepted bribes in exchange for public service,” Lacson said.