After President Duterte called his pledge to ride a jet ski to plant a Philippine flag to the Spratly Islands as a pure campaign joke, Lacson said he believes it is high-time Filipino voters become more discerning in choosing the country’s future leaders.
Lacson said he expects this to be another of the biggest hurdle the country would have to face in the upcoming May 2022 national elections.
“You know, that’s the problem of our electorate. Madali ma-sway sa mga jokes, sa mga ‘budot,’ ‘Tiktok’. Medyo shallow (They are easily swayed by candidates who are into jokes, dancing and Tiktok. So it’s a bit shallow),” Lacson said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.
“So there should really be a massive information campaign sa electorate natin. But it will take generations before we achieve that,” he added.
Unlike in the United States, Lacson said their presidential debates zero in on relevant social issues that propel voters to suddenly change support from one candidate to another.
“Dito, ang nagma-matter yung political ads, yung kumakanta sa stage, sumasayaw. I’d say it’s pathetic na ganun yung situation (Here, what matters is the political advertisements, those who sing on stage, those who dance. I’d say it’s pathetic but that is the situation),” he lamented.
“We should be more discerning than what we are right now...because there’s a lot of disinformation and fake news. And some gullible people tend to believe even the most unbelievable fake news,” he pointed out.
Asked if he believes Duterte is still fit to lead the country, Lacson pointed out he was voted by 16 million Filipinos and still has the support of many citizens.
“But because of his statements last night, if I were a political science professor that is a good subject under Politics 101: Write an essay on the topic why “stupid voters elect the leaders they or they don’t deserve’,” the senator said.
“I’d like to give that test to the students and find out ...how they would expound on that statement,” he pointed out.
Duterte, on Monday night, admitted that his promise to ride a jet ski to Spratly Island, one of the maritime territories being claimed by China, was just a “pure campaign joke.”
Though he planned to go through with his promise, even buying a second hand jet ski, Duterte said he found it logistically impossible to launch such a feat.
The President also said he was discouraged by his fear of drowning because he does not know how to swim in the event the vehicle capsizes due to massive waves.
“It was a pure campaign joke at kung naniniwala kayo sa kabila (and if you believe that), I would say you are really stupid,” the Chief Executive had said.