Statement of Rep. Romeo Acop, spokesman of Partido Reporma standard bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, on Vice President Leni Robredo’s “walang nagawa” comments vs. Sen. Lacson

[revised v2]

PRESS STATEMENT

JANUARY 28, 2022

Vice President Leni Robredo has really lost the context when she said Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has done nothing to merit becoming the next President of the Philippines.

Ang manilbihan ba sa ating bayan mula noong nagtapos sa Philippine Military Academy noong 1971 at naging sundalo ay walang nagawa? In his sheer number of years – 51 -- in government service alone, Senator Lacson overtakes Mrs. Robredo by decades. 

Being a former police general myself, I know for a fact that all promotions in the military and police are based on merit. You do not rise from 2nd Lieutenant, to Captain, to Chief of the Philippine National Police, as Senator Lacson has done, na walang “gawa” to deserve the promotions.

Samantala, bilang abogado, itinaya na ba ni Madam Vice President ang buhay niya para sa kanyang mga kliyente? Sinamahan na ba niya ang mga ito sa loob ng kulungan? 

I may not be able to answer that for her, but I am sure Senator Lacson has put his life on the line countless times -- as a soldier, as an intelligence officer, and as a leader of an anti-kidnapping police task force, in the fulfillment of his sworn duties to the nation.

Let’s not even start with the top-to-bottom cleansing he has done in the PNP as its chief in just three years, or of the countless laws he has authored and helped pass in 18 years in the Senate.

Mas mahaba pa nga ang itinagal ni Senator Lacson sa Senado sa buong paninilbihan ni Mrs. Robredo sa gobyerno. Noong 2013 lang naman siya naupo bilang kongresista ng Camarines Sur – at alam ko yun dahil nasa Kongreso din ako ng mga panahong iyon, bilang lingkod ng Antipolo City hanggang 2019.

Mabuti nga at naitulay si Mrs. Robredo ng kasikatan ng kanyang namayapang asawa upang makasungkit ng pwesto sa gobyerno, ngunit ngayon na siya ay tumatakbo bilang Presidente, kailangan niyang manindigan sa sarili niyang mga gawain at nagawa – at hindi tumapak sa likuran ng ninuman.

Truth be told, the Vice President has a habit of putting down people opposed to her agenda or merely sitting across the table from her. It is unbecoming of a future leader of our nation.

That is another reason why I believe Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who has worked quietly and without fanfare all these years, deserves to be our next President. We should all vote for him. ###