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Lacson priming for pres'l run, will join Partido Reporma as chairman

Philippines | National

Lacson priming for pres'l run, will join Partido Reporma as chairman

By Mario Casayuran

As the October deadline for filing certificates of candidacy for national elections approaches, presidential hopefuls are making the rounds to firm up their political foundations or for possible alliances.

Senator Panfilo M.Lacson, primed for a Lacson-Sotto (Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III) tandem, is scheduled to meet Thursday, July 29 with former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and be sworn in as Partido Reforma political party chairman.

Lacson also said they (Lacson and Sotto) also met the Liberal Party, Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Bam Aquino ‘’sometime last week.’’

He did not give details of these talks but stressed that they just talked.

Senator Richard J. Gordon today said he had met with Vice President Robredo for a partnership in next year's elections.

Gordon, however, did not elaborate.

He said there was no discussion on who is going to be which candidate.

Gordon was quoted as saying "yes, just for transparency’s sake pero walang pinagusapan sino ang kandidato (Yes, just for transparency’s sake but there was no discussion of who's going to be which candidate).

Alvarez is co-founder of Partido Reforma political party.

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Renato de Villa is the other Reforma co-founder.

Lacson was reported set to be sworn in as Reforma chairman. Time and place of oath taking is not yet disclosed.

On request of Lacson, Sotto, chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), invited Alvarez for a simple lunch.

It was during that lunch appointment that Alvarez opened up and the offering of the Reforma chairmanship to Lacson was mulled by Alvarez.

Sotto earlier said alliances are better than coalitions are better at the present political landscape.

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