Alvarez denies asking Lacson for P800-M local campaign fund

Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday denied Senator Panfilo Lacson's claim that he asked for P800 million for the campaign funds of Partido Reporma's candidates in his province.

"That's not true. I never asked funding requirements from him for our local candidates," Alvarez told GMA News Online in a text message.

"We can very well fund our own candidates."

In a message to reporters earlier in the day, Lacson said his failure to fork over the P800 million was the reason why Alvarez switched his support to Vice President Leni Robredo.

Both Lacson and Robredo are running for president in the May 2022 elections. Lacson on Thursday resigned as chairman and member of Partido Reporma, where Alvarez is president, after the party shifted its support to Robredo.

Alvarez said Lacson may have been referring to funding requirements for Partido Reporma's poll watchers on election day.

"Malaki talaga 'yun. Dahil if you will compute the number of precincts all over the country, multiplied by two watchers per precinct in 24-hour shift x 1k/ watcher meal allowance," he said.

(It is really a huge amount because you will need two watchers per precinct doing 24-hour shift and give them meal allowance of P1,000 each.)

In a separate statement, Alvarez said that as president of the party, he is duty-bound to inform Lacson about the requirements needed to sustain a credible effort on the ground.

"Without the ability to cover for these costs, it was only right that we inform our local candidates – from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao – and ground personnel about the true state of our fiscal affairs. And that is what I did," he said.

"All candidates and parties are covered by this harsh fiscal reality, no one is exempted. And all campaigns for 2022, perhaps with the exception of the frontrunner, are likely having predicaments with their finances," he added.

Alvarez earlier said he decided to support Robredo because she and former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. have pulled away from the other contenders in pre-election surveys. He also cited Robredo's commitment to reform and fight against the possible return of dictatorship. — with Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK/RSJ, GMA News