Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said they prefer to wear button-down checkered polos during their campaign to represent the spirit of hard work.
The Lacson-Sotto tandem was asked during the Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel media forum why they chose to wear plaid shirts when campaigning for president and vice president, respectively, in the May 9 elections.
“Ako, ever since checkered talaga kasi parang it represents—para sa akin ha—hard labor, parang ganyan," Lacson said, who was wearing a matching plaid polo shirt with Sotto, only in different styles and colors.
"It represents all sectors dahil all colors pwede," Sotto added.
The checkered shirt is the Lacson-Sotto tandem's take on the campaign colors of their rivals --- pink for Vice President Leni Robredo, red for Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., green for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and blue for Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
During elections, colors go beyond aesthetics as they also represent the values, principles, and vision of the candidates that wear them, said campaign strategist and political science professor Gerardo Eusebio.
“It's one way of establishing optical recall.... You somehow associate all the values and programs even of a candidate with a particular color,” he said in an earlier interview with reportr.
Aside from their unique fashion choices, Lacson and Sotto also said they want to set themselves apart from other candidates by choosing to hold public dialogues and open forums instead of entertaining them in large campaign rallies.
The tandem earlier said they would do away with the old school campaign playbook of entertaining crowds through song and dance as they would rather focus on discussing issues.
"We would rather dialogue with the people because we learn a lot from them, yung mga common problems, common issues, concerns nakukuha namin and we are forced to research," Lacson said.
“You have to come across to the people. You have to let them know what you stand for, what you have done, your track record and what you plan to do. So, kami, ang style namin dialogue. We’re not into those political rallies,” Sotto added.
Lacson is now running as an independent candidate after he quit his own party Partido Reporma because its leaders chose to endorse Robredo for president.
Sotto remains as chairman of his own political party, the Nationalist People's Coalition.
ALSO READ:
What's Next for Ping Lacson After Own Party Endorses Leni Robredo?
Where is the Philippines Going? Lacson, Sotto Believe They Have the Answer
Playing Safe? Lacson, Sotto Say They're Shunning Gutter Politics
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.