Lacson: Senatorial campaign is like a long job interview
THE 90-day senatorial campaign is like a long job interview where candidates present themselves to their potential bosses who should choose wisely, former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.
“Senatorial candidates are like job applicants vying for 12 job vacancies available on June 30, 2025 in what could be the longest 90-day job interview. The Filipino people are the ‘HR’ who will vet and decide who to hire to work for them in the next 6 years. Choose wisely,” Lacson said in a post on X.
As one such applicant, Lacson pointed out his “resume” would center on his being a watchdog of the national budget who will guard against misuse of the public coffers.
He also reiterated his advocacy for downloading to the local government units unused appropriations averaging P350 billion a year from 2016 to 2023, to fund projects and programs crafted by their local development councils.
“It’s like I am in a job interview, and I will introduce myself in this way: I will continue to guard the nation’s coffers. I have never and will never steal from the national budget. My track record will prove that I have tightly guarded and fought for the proper use of our national budget,” he said in Filipino, during a rally of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Iloilo last Thursday.
Lacson said Panay Island, which is currently in one of the five top performing regions in agriculture, has the potential to be the top performer if given funds from the national budget – especially now that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 82 that strengthens the regional development councils and local development councils.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Lacson said downloading the funds could be a big help in northern Iloilo, where local fishers suffer while their abundant catch of Indian oil sardines get spoiled because of the lack of facilities like cold storage and processing plants. With such facilities, they have the potential to export their catch, he said.
Similarly, Lacson supported the administration’s efforts to digitalize government transactions, which will curb graft and corruption while improving the efficiency of public services.
“That will help make us prosper. If the rural areas prosper, so will the nation,” he said.
