Lacson wants science-based shift to 'Alert Level 0' status

PORAC, Pampanga — Presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said he favors a science-based shift to "Alert Level 0" status to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sa akin mas gusto ko, kung talagang science-based na pwede na talaga mag-Alert Level 0. Kailangan na talaga natin mag-open up,” Lacson said in a press conference.

(I agree to shift COVID-19 curbs to Alert Level 0, so long as it is based on science. We need to open our economy.)

On the other hand, Lacson’s running-mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that a shift to Alert Level 0 at this time may be too early.

“My personal opinion is it might be too early for Alert Level 0. Medyo bantayan muna" (we need to be cautious), Sotto said.

However, Lacson and Sotto both said they would continue wearing face mask even if it is no longer mandated. 

Amid reports on the emergence of “Deltacron” or the combination of the highly contagious Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus, Lacson said the government should be on guard.

“Dapat paghandaan (We should prepare for that). [Our] program, while we should already have a policy direction transition from pandemic to endemic we should be prepared for the next pandemic,” Lacson said.

He reiterated the need to follow science and data in crafting government policies, emphasizing that there is no tradeoff between health and economy.

Lacson and Sotto visited Saturday Porac and Angeles City in Pampanga to hold two townhall meetings.

For Eleksyon 2022, Pampanga has 1.58 million registered voters. Of the number, 205,822 are from Angeles and 76,871 are from Porac. —LBG, GMA News