Lacson-Sotto tandem: 'Don’t believe in fake news; We are not withdrawing from May 2022 race' (Sabong News)
Author
Mario Casayuran
Date
MARCH 22 2022
CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija- Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ M. Lacson on Tuesday, March 22 emphasized that he and running mate Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ C. Sotto III would stay in contention for the next president and vice president of the Philippines as he refuted anew fresh disinformation campaigns against their tandem that sprouted on social media.
In their live interview aired via online radio station DWJJ/CabTV here on Tuesday, Lacson, Partido Reporma standard-bearer, personally contradicted reports that he and Sotto are withdrawing from their respective electoral bids to make way for another tandem.
‘’There is no truth to this claim,’’ according to the longtime public servant as he urged the public not to believe in it.
“Hihirit lang ako, kasi may mga fake news na lumalabas—mapa-YouTube, mapa-Facebook—aatras na raw kaming dalawa? [Let me just add, because there is fake news coming out again—either on YouTube, Facebook—that the two of us are withdrawing)?. Huwag kayong maniwala. Kasi aatras lang kami sa May 9 either papunta kaming Malacañang or pauwi ng bahay,” Lacson said partly in jest over the ridiculousness of the latest false information (Don’t believe that. Because we are only going to move on May 9 either towards Malacañang or back to our own homes.]
A YouTube channel called ‘Showbiz Fanatics’ floated the idea that anytime today (March 22), Lacson and Sotto would reportedly announce that they would no longer continue their campaign.
Ashley Acedillo, one of the spokesmen for Lacson, already denied this and warned the public against following or subscribing to the said channel.
“What the video claims is a total lie, and that vlog (Showbiz Fanatics) is peddling fake news with that so-called update,” Acedillo said. The former party-list representative added that both Lacson and Sotto remain enthusiastic about their respective national campaigns until the end of the 2022 election season
“Ping Lacson is absolutely determined to finish the campaign, and hopefully, make it as President along with his running mate for VP (vice president), Tito Sotto,” Acedillo added.
Lacson and Sotto are currently in Nueva Ecija to resume their election-related activities 48 days before the May 9, 2022 polls.
In the same interview, Lacson and Sotto said they remain focused on reaching out to the electorate to present their advocacies and campaign platforms to hopefully win more supporters to their cause.
The presidential candidate mentioned that he no longer pays too much attention to the pre-election surveys because the only polling that matters happens on Election Day.
‘’Elections are held for just one day when the people vote. Because if we treat surveys as if they are elections already, what’s the point of having an election, right? … What we feel on the ground as we go around is totally different from the numbers that we’re seeing,’’ Lacson told radio DWJJ/CabTV anchors.
Sotto held a similar view, describing surveys as mere “snapshots of a particular day,” adding that the only important numbers that people have to remember are ‘5’ and ‘9’ on May 9—referring to his and Lacson’s numbers in the official ballot.
‘’That (surveys) is not May 9, you know. May 9, 2022 is 5/9. Number ‘5’ in the ballot is Senator Lacson. I am number ‘9.’ Fate has an important reminder for all of us on 5/9 (May 9,’’ Sotto added.
