Political connections would not dictate Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson in making decisions over who would be invited to serve in his Cabinet when he gets elected as president, according to party spokesperson Ashley Acedillo.
Acedillo told an online interview Monday, Oct. 25 that Filipinos might expect a Lacson administration to veer away from the tradition of appointing retired police and military generals into executive positions despite their strong ties with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
“One thing he made clear—and he (Lacson) has said this repeatedly—ang numero uno niyang batayan kung sino ang ilalagay niya sa isang posisyon ay ang kakayahan, kasama na diyan ang katapatan, at siyempre ang katapangan (his number one basis for appointing individuals into specific positions is their competence, as well as their integrity, and courage),” Acedillo said.
“These are the very same qualities that he expects of himself and his running mate, Senator Vicente ‘’Tito’’ C. Sotto, and he will be looking for the same qualities sa kanyang mga iuupo (to the people he will appoint) especially doon sa mga (for the) crucial positions,” he added.
Acedillo explained that Lacson is always open to working with highly competent and qualified individuals, regardless if they come from a military or civilian background, as long as they can help him solve the pressing problems of our nation.
“Wala po doon sa sinabi niya na galing sa militar o dapat PMA-er, wala po ‘yan sa kanyang kaisipan (He did not say anything about coming from the military or a graduate of PMA. That’s far from his mind.) If it so happens na galing sa ibang (that a potential appointee comes from a different) background, purely civilian background, but ‘yun po ang taong pinaka-qualified para doon sa posisyon (that person is the most qualified for the position), then why not?,” he noted.
Lacson has mentioned that he would not fall into the habit of taking just military solutions to address issues of national importance such as the communist insurgency, the illegal drug trade, and especially the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The presidential aspirant has been advocating towards a more scientific approach in resolving the lingering public health crisis without enforcing strict lockdowns that sent millions of Filipinos into unemployment, affecting the entire Philippine economy in the process.
“Magsagawa tayo ng mga hakbang nang sa ganoon matigil na itong lockdown. Kasi hindi natin alam kung hanggang kailan matatapos ang pandemya pero hindi ganoon kadali. Kailangan meron tayong mga data-driven o science-based na pinagbabasehan sa atin (We should come up with more effective measures so we can get rid of imposing lockdowns, because we do not know when the pandemic will end, but it’s not that easy. We need to have data-driven or science-based research as basis ),” Lacson said during his “Online Kumustahan” with residents of Antipolo City, Rizal over the weekend.
President Rodrigo Duterte has been criticized in the past for allowing former military generals to take the lead in his government’s pandemic response, instead of getting more medical professionals on board, who are more adept at confronting public health emergencies.
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