Former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson maintained that he is running as an independent candidate in next year’s elections, despite being included in the senatorial slate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“I am running as an independent candidate, not being a member of a political party,” Lacson said in a statement posted on his official social media page on Friday.
“I am a guest candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which is part of an alliance of five major political parties that includes the administration’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas,” the former senator added.
Marcos’ Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate is an alliance of five political parties, namely Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), National Unity Party, Lakas-CMD, Nacionalista Party, and the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Lacson, who ran as an independent presidential candidate in the 2022 polls alongside his running mate, former Senate President Tito Sotto, earlier told GMA News Online that he decided to move on and look forward to what he can contribute in addressing the country’s problems.
Lacson also said he and Sotto were invited to run under the administration slate as early as June of this year.
“Make no mistake – I am proud to be part of a grand alliance of our country’s five major political parties. I have no doubt in my mind that should I win next year, President Marcos fully recognizes my consistent role as a fiscalizer guided only by our shared motto: ‘Ang tama ay ipaglaban; ang mali ay labanan’,” the former senator said.
Lacson had said he and Sotto would file their certificate of candidacy on October 2.
—Ted Cordero/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
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