Lacson: We don’t just exist in virtual reality; hard issues should still matter in ’22 elections

Insofar as Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson is concerned, the physical world still exists, so we must never allow ourselves to get enraptured by what is going on around social media circles as real-life problems require tough solutions that cannot be delivered in bite-sized information.

Lacson expressed these thoughts when he took the hot seat on ‘The Chiefs’ aired over ONE News PH, Monday evening. He acknowledged the challenges his campaign team is facing when it comes to getting their messages across on social media that has already been penetrated by his opponents.

Pressed on what kind of adjustments he and his political party are planning to make, barely three and a half months to go before Election Day to improve his numbers, Lacson said he was advised to try and follow some trends to appeal to a wider audience despite his resistance.

“‘Nung kinausap ako ‘nung aking—especially ‘nung aking communications team, ano—sinabi nilang kailangan sumama tayo doon, makisama tayo kasi ‘yon talaga ‘yung trend, ‘yon ang takbo ng kampanya e,” the presidential aspirant told Amy Pamintuan, one of the program’s hosts.

(When I was approached, especially by my communications team, they told me we should follow and adapt to the so-called trend because that is the direction most campaigns are heading.)

Lacson was referring to video blogs and tapping the services of vloggers, who amassed huge following on social media, which he was resisting because he is aware that this particular section of new media landscape hardly talks about serious subject matters such as politics, governance and the like.

“Ang tanong ko nga sa kanila (campaign team): ‘Bakit? Kailan pa ba naging dreamless, hopeless, and helpless ang mga Pilipino na hindi na iniisip ‘yung malalalang problema, mga seryosong mga bagay, at nagkakasya na lamang doon sa parang, sabihin na natin entertainment, ano—more on the entertainment side?” the veteran public servant said.

(My question to them (campaign team) was: ‘Why? Since when did Filipinos become dreamless, hopeless and helpless that they no longer care about severe problems, serious issues, and they only settle for entertainment—more on the entertainment side?)

Despite his reservations, however, Lacson clarified that he is open to new ideas that would help introduce himself and his programs of government provided his ‘authentic self’ would still be allowed to shine and to establish the kind of genuine connection with all the Filipinos he wants to serve.

“Sa akin naman, as long as hindi mawala ‘yung authenticity, ano, ‘yung aming—kung ano ‘yung ginagawa namin ay okay lang. Tingnan natin how far we can make adjustments. But sa akin, meron akong sinasabi sa kanila na laging may threshold. Huwag nating kalimutan na ang hinaharap ng bansa natin napakaseryoso, napakalalang problema, so huwag tayong mag-deviate completely from that narrative,” Lacson explained.

(To me, as long as the authenticity is there and what we’re trying to do, that’s okay. Let us see how far we can make adjustments. But in my case, I keep telling them that I have a threshold. Let us not forget that our country is facing serious and severe problems. So, let us not deviate completely from that narrative.)

Lacson is running for president in tandem with Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III. They have been pushing for their longtime advocacies of good governance through fiscal, economic, social and political reforms and the elimination of crime and corruption.