Lacson Hopes to Convert Voters With Debate Performance

The forums can be game-changers, he says.

by Erwin Colcol

Photo/s: Ping Lacson/Facebook

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said the performance of presidential candidates in recent and future debates could still act as a gamechanger as he trails his rivals in many pre-election surveys.

The 73-year-old former national police chief said he was not discouraged by the poll results that mostly ranked him fifth as they have yet to take into account the presidential interviews and forums.

"I think the presidential forums and interviews will change things based on the congratulatory messages that I've been receiving. And these surveys, I think, were conducted before those interviews," Lacson told reporters.

Former Sen. Bongbong Marcos, the frontrunner in many pre-election surveys, declined to attend the presidential interviews hosted by GMA News' Jessica Soho and the live forum organized by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

If the numbers won't change even after the forums, Lacson said he would not be disheartened as he had prepared himself for whatever outcome of the elections.

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"Na-weigh ko na lahat ito bago kami pumasok, but ang usapan naming dalawa (ni Senate President Tito Sotto), all the way. We'll do our best to communicate," he said.

"Kung hindi mag-get across yung aming mensahe for the Filipino people, for this country, then so be it," he added.

Lacson and Sotto earlier said they were running to push for a government that leads by example and they would not resort to sing and dance numbers in their campaign.

"Basta ako, ginagawa namin yung dapat gawin, i-explain sa kanila ano ba yung plataporma, ano yung track record namin, ano yung experience namin, ano yung competence namin, ano yung qualification," Lacson said.

"And if they don't believe us or yung message namin has not come across to be understood, that's fine," he added.

Apart from Marcos, Lacson is running against fellow senator Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Vice President Leni Robredo, labor leader Leody De Guzman and four other presidential candidates.

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