Ballot 33:
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
FORMER SENATOR
Independent
Age: 76 (born June 1, 1948)
Highest educational attainment: Master in Government Management, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (1995 – 1996)
Endorsed by: Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, the Marcos administration slate
Lacson wants to continue his work in fighting all forms of corruption, particularly the abuse and misuse of congressional insertions or pork barrel. He promises to focus on legislation relevant to the military, police and marginalized sectors.
Field of Expertise
Authored and sponsored several bills that have become laws, including:
- Republic Act (RA) No. 11055, the National ID Law
- RA No. 11479, The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
- RA No. 11469, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act
- RA No. 11053, the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018
- RA No. 11709, Strengthening Professionalism in the Armed Forces of the Philippines
- RA No. 9485, the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007
- RA 10969, the Free Irrigation Act on Law of 2018
Issues and Controversies
Charged as principal to the 1995 murder of 11 Kuratong Baleleng gang members but case was dismissed in 2012 for lack of probable cause
Accused of being the brains behind the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, then fled to Hong Kong in 2010; returned after the Court of Appeals cleared him from all charges, insisting his escape was legal and necessary to avoid “harassment” from the Department of Justice and then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Was part of an elite torture group during martial law, according to historian Alfred McCoy, but has denied this
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Where this candidate stands on top 5 concerns of the Filipino voter
- Pushing for “Edukasyon Plus” program, providing free tuition, monthly allowance and internship programs for students to alleviate dropout rates and consequently, poverty
- Vows to focus on providing employment opportunities and capacity building as an integral part of social welfare programs to minimize the need for subsidies
- Proposes that all public officials be exempt from the Bank Secrecy Act to promote transparency
- Calls for a stop to overregulation of businesses that has led to corruption with public officials demanding money under the table
- Advocates an independent foreign policy where the country does not sway towards China or the United States, while banding together with nations in the region that have similar interests as the Philippines
- Says operations for Duterte’s war on drugs were prostituted by the rewards system that paid authorities for every drug suspect captured
- Wants a shift in the strategy for disaster preparedness from reactive to proactive to prevent the tendency to act only when calamities strike
- Questions unspent funds for disaster risk reduction, stressing the need to use these on projects that boost resilience to catastrophes and emergencies
Interesting Facts
- Ran for president and lost twice—to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2004 (finishing third with over 3 million votes) and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in 2022 (placing fifth with 892,375 votes)
- Son Jay Lacson ran and lost the Cavite vice gubernatorial race in 2013
- Returned P200-million-a-year PDAF allocations to the National Treasury, saving the government P2.4 billion in 12 years per his website