FAKE news is a disservice to the people, and spreading wrong information is harmful to others, especially during the campaign period for the May 9 national elections, Partido Reporma presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson stressed Wednesday.

Lacson made the statement in reaction to a netizen who was commenting on a post on the three-term senator’s official Facebook page.

The longtime public servant had posted his thoughts after the recent CNN Philippines Presidential Debate on his goal to boost local government units (LGUs) through his flagship campaign platform, the Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE).

“It’s time to empower LGUs. Napakalaki ng hindi nagagamit sa national budget, P328B taun-taon. Bakit hindi natin i-download ito sa LGUs para sa sarili nilang infrastructure programs? Makaka-generate ito ng jobs, ma-de-decongest pa ang Metro Manila,” Lacson had posted.

But one netizen commented: “Sana ginawa muna dati Senator Ping. Kayo naman gumagawa ng batas. Ba’t ngayon pa na election na?

Lacson then replied: “Kung aaralin nyo po ang aking mga bills filed, napakatagal na po natin ito isinusulong. Mali po ang inyong premise na para sa kampanya lamang ito. Kaya nga po tayo tumatakbo bilang pangulo, para hindi na ito idaan sa legislative, kundithrough executive order na.”

“Isa pong disservice sa kapwa po natin na magbitaw ng maling impormasyon It is a disservice to our fellow men to release wrong information,” the Partido Reporma presidential bet added.

Still, Lacson continues to listen to suggestions and complaints posted on his personal or official social media accounts, which he acts on quietly and even before he decided to run for the presidency in the 2022 elections.

Other netizens have praised the way Lacson and running mate Vicente “Tito” Sotto III have carried out their campaign so far, commenting that they have learned much just from listening to the veteran public servants in their campaign sorties and on their live appearances in broadcast media.

“Kahit kadalasan nalilito ako sa mga terminologies ni Sen. Ping, marami naman akong natututunan sa pakikinig sa mga sagot niya. Sana marami pa kayong debate/interviews na paunlakan para mas marami ang makarinig ng plataporma niyo,” Nevana Baldonado said on Lacson’s Facebook post.

Starting last September when they were the first pair to officially declare their candidacies for President and Vice President, Lacson and Sotto have focused on laying down their platforms of governance instead of indulging the public in “showbiz” or “song-and-dance” politics.

Their dialogues with certain sectors at each of their campaign stops have resonated with Filipino voters, as it showed them that Lacson and Sotto have the requisite ability, experience and bravery to take the country’s problems head-on for the next six years in government or until 2028.

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