Lacson, Sotto vow ‘Council of Two’ synergy once elected President, VP

 Lacson, Sotto vow ‘Council of Two’ synergy once elected President, VP

Once elected in the May 2022 national elections, Partido Reporma chairman and presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and his running mate Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will lead the country as a “Council of Two,” always consulting with each other for the good of the nation, the tandem vowed Thursday.

“May usapan na kami na kapag kami ay na-block voting, we will observe a Council of Two, we will always consult with each other para sa bayan. Mainam na laging magkasundo ang President and Vice President,” Lacson told members of the media in Partido Reporma’s weekly Meet the Press program.

[We have an agreement that if we are elected by so-called block voting, we will observe a ‘Council of Two.’ We will always consult with each other for the country. It’s good if the President and Vice President are always in agreement.]

Sotto, Lacson’s longtime friend and companion in the Senate, who actually urged him to run for the country’s highest position, added: “Imagine if Senator Ping is elected President and executes the budget he has watched for over 18 years? Ang laki ng ginhawa ng mga kababayan natin. Eto na ang sagot sa mga problema natin sa pera.”

[It would be such a relief to our countrymen. This would be the answer to all our problems with money.]

When asked how a Lacson-Sotto administration would project a better relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches of government, Lacson said: “Diyan kami medyo lamang, lalo na si SP (Senate President Sotto). Never kong na-experience mula noong maupo ako sa Senate na ni minsan hindi na-threaten ma-kudeta ang Senate President.”

[That’s where we have a good advantage, especially with SP. I have never experienced, ever since I sat in the Senate, that the Senate President was not threatened with a leadership coup, not once.]

The former national police chief said Sotto is a master of consensus building. “Mas kabisado niya more than I do, he knows more than anybody how to maintain that relationship with the legislative without being too cocky or mamuwersa,” Lacson said.

[He knows (the executive-legislative relationship) more than I do, without forcing the issue.]

Not only will Lacson and Sotto show a stronger synergy between the offices of the President and Vice President once elected in next year’s polls, the duo vowed to always “walk the talk” with the policy decisions they make together while in office.

The tandem, which has a combined 83 years in public service with 42 spent in the Senate, was recently tagged by top political strategist Malou Tiquia as the “strongest” pair among the aspirants in the 2022 national elections and appear to be the readiest to perform the duties of the country’s top two leadership positions.