'We need a leader' is Lacson-Sotto tandem's battle cry for 2022


Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III will be calling for a president and vice president who would the lead the Philippines to recovery and development.

Senator Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson (right) and Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III (Courtesy of the Office of Sen. Lacson/pinglacson.net)

This, as Sotto disclosed to media on Monday, August 23, the official campaign slogan of their upcoming tandem.

"We Need a Leader 2022," he said in a text message sent to reporters.

The Lacson-Sotto tandem will officially be launched on September 8. They are the first to confirm their election bid among the possible presidential and vice presidential candidates for next year.

Asked to elaborate on their official slogan, Sotto maintained that the country's next leaders should have the qualities to address today's problems, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two senators previously said they will run carrying the slogan "Kakayahan, Katapatan at Katapangan".

"Siguro pwede naming pagsigawan: Kami 'yong may kakayahan, katapatan at may katapangan para sagupain 'yong mga problema na haharapin ng ating mga kababayan (Maybe we can brag about this one: We have the capability, honesty and courage to confront the problems that our countrymen will encounter)," Lacson said in a online press briefing last July 28.

Meanwhile, Sotto said they have to finalize their Senate slate.

Earlier, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez confirmed speaking to Lacson and Sotto about her possible inclusion in the tandem's senatorial line up but maintained that she is a member of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Despite Sotto announcing her plan to run for senator, Torres-Gomez clarified that she remains "undecided" on this.

Besides Torres-Gomez, Lacson and Sotto would also have to wait for Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who is also considering to run for vice president alongside Davao City mayor and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) head Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Sotto currently chairs the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) while Lacson was recently elected as the new chairman of the Partido Reporma.