Lacson: Duterte's endorsement welcome but we're not seeking it

Presidential aspirant and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday said he would welcome President Rodrigo Duterte’s endorsement but he would not ask for it.

“Ang sabi nga namin (Just like what we are saying) all endorsements are welcome but we are not seeking it, ano, especially openly seeking just like one particular candidate is doing. We don’t do that because you know we also deserve our own to maintain our self dignity intact,” Lacson said in a media conference in Cebu.

“Ang importante sa tao ay self-respect at dignidad ng isang tao (People give importance to self-respect and dignity). So we won’t resort to that but of course any endorsement is an addition whether coming from the lowest local government official from a barangay chairman all the way up to the president,” he added.

For Lacson, endorsement is like respect which a person could not “demand or ask.”

“You cannot ask [for it], you should  earn it,” he said.

This principle also applies to all other government officials, he added.

“Nakagawian na namin ni Senate President (Vicente Sotto III) na parang sarili naming efforts ‘di ba? Pine-present namin kasi kaya naman namin talagang ipagmalaki ang public service record namin saka ‘yung platform namin naka-ready naman kami. So parang bonus na lang ang mga endorsement 'ika nga. We would rather stand on our own feet,” he said.

(Senate President Sotto and I are used to doing things on our own. We present ourselves because we can boast of our public service record and our platforms are ready. So it's like a bonus if we get endorsements. We would rather stand on our own feet.)

Asked if they will not talk to Duterte to seek his endorsement, Lacson said they are not that “presumptuous.”

Vice presidential aspirant and Senate President Sotto, on the other hand, said he would if ever they would talk with Duterte, they will meet as “friends.”

“Endorsements are good but we need votes. Ie-endorse mo nga, hindi ka naman iboboto (They may endorse you but are you sure they would vote for you). It’s like your credit is good but we need cash. Your endorsements are good but we need the votes,” Sotto said.

Other presidential aspirants, namely Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao, previously said they are also open to Duterte’s endorsement of their presidential bids.

Malacañang previously said Duterte is looking for a presidential candidate who will truly serve the public.

Senate slate

Asked if they will include Duterte in their senatorial lineup, Lacson said they already have 15 candidates in their slate and planning to trim it to 12.

“Lampas kasi ang bilang namin. Pino-problema nga namin magtatanggal kami ng dalawa or tatlo para maging 12 kasi nung una inisip namin ito 'yung mga gusto naming manalo pero paano kami magka-campaign ng vote straight e labing lima?” Lacson said.

(We are over our ideal number. We are currently having a problem in removing two to three people from our slate to stick to 12. At first, we thought about these people because we want them to win but how can we campaign and say "vote straight" when we have 15 senatorial aspirants?)

“So we are knocking our heads how to finally choose the 12,” he added.

Lacson said they would prioritize the inclusion of three senatorial aspirants from Partido Reporma and six from Nationalist People’s Coalition, a national party chaired by Sotto.

“So siyam na ‘yon, opening na lang namin tatlo. May mga colleagues [sa Senate] na gusto sumama sa amin na at least dalawa,” he said.

(We already have nine aspirants from our parties then we still have at least two colleagues in the Senate who wanted to join us.)

“Mayroon pang returning or comebacking na gusto rin sumama. So 'yun ang pinag-aaralan natin ngayon,” he added.

(There are also returning or comebacking senators who wanted to join our slate. So we are studying it right now.)

Asked how they will trim down their lineup, Lacson said they would look at their “likemindedness” with the senatorial aspirants, especially in their anti-corruption efforts.

“Likemindedness. Kung ang focus nila ay sa aming platforms most especially sa amin, [anti-corruption advocacy], ‘yun ang aming primary [consideration] kasi sa akin, in my view and in my experience, if we solve corruption in this country at least 50% of our problem will be solved,” he said.

(We will look at our likemindedness. If they focus on our platforms, especially on our anti-corruption advocacy, that would be our primary consideration because in my view and in my experience, if we solve corruption in this country at least 50% of our problem will be solved.)

In October, Lacson and Sotto said they will endorse 15 senatorial candidates in Eleksyon 2022.

Their current list includes:

•     Antique Rep. Loren Legarda (NPC)
•     former senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito (NPC)
•     Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero (NPC)
•     former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista (NPC)
•     Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (NPC)
•     Senator Joel Villanueva (Independent)
•     Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (Independent)
•     former Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay (UNA)
•     Dr. Minguita Padilla (Reporma)
•     former Makati Rep. Monsour del Rosario (Reporma)
•     former Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar (Reporma)
•     broadcaster Raffy Tulfo (Independent)
•     Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon (Bagumbayan VNP Movement)
•     former Information and Communications secretary Greg Honasan (Independent)
•     former Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol (NPC)

—AOL, GMA News