Lacson thumbs down Rep. Atienza's call for him to withdraw prexy bid (Sabong News)
Author
Mario Casayuran
Date
MARCH 31 2022
Independent presidential candidate Senator Panfilo M. Lacson on Thursday, March 31 blasted vice presidential candidate Rep. Joselito “Lito” Atienza for asking him to withdraw from the May 2022 presidential race.
‘’What he did is uncalled for – kabastusan (bad manners), to say the least. He should go back to school and study Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) which law I co-authored,’’ Lacson said.
‘’For the nth time, I will finish this race and I am not backing out. I reject the call of Rep. Jose Atienza for me to withdraw from the presidential race,’’ he added in his Viber account.
Asked if he was offended, Lacson replied:: ‘’No. that’s kabastusan (bad manners) to say the least. for somebody like him na mas matanda pa sa akin, na magsasabing mag back out ang isang kandidato without even consulting, that is insulting (he is older than me and for him to tell a candidate to withdraw, even without consulting, that is insulting).’’
Lacson said that for hm and vice presidential candidate Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III to withdraw is out of the question because they would finish the race.
Explaining, Lacson said he and Sotto had an agreement before the launching of their candidacies that they would finish the race from the time they filed their certificates of candidacy to the May 9, 2022 elections.
‘’So anything that will boost his (Sotto’s) candidacy i’m all for it. kung meron mag aadapt sa kanya (If they will adopt Sotto) as their vice presidential candidate so be it, i will welcome it because i know where he stands, i know where I stand,’’ he stressed.
Yesterday, presidential candidate Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao revealed that Atienza had told him that he would endorse Sotto for the vice presidency should he fail to continue his campaign because of his knee problem.
Queried whether he felt left out, Lacson said: ‘’No, not at all I talked directly to Filipino people. We are not parang organizing rallies, we like better talking to people, we learn from them, they learn from us.’’
Lacson reiterated that Filipinos should not waste their votes on “survey politics.’’
‘’We should choose a leader who is the most qualified and competent, not the one dictated by surveys,’’ he said.
‘’Instead of thinking we will waste our votes on those who are qualified but not leading in the surveys, we should remember that it would be a bigger waste if we select the wrong leader who turns out to be less competent,’’ he added.
