Partido Reporma presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is the country’s only hope of getting a “servant leader” who will lead by example and dedicate himself in serving people with sincerity and utmost integrity.

Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto aired this view before stakeholders form the public transport industry in Quezon City even as he stressed that he is glad and proud that his father, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, partnered with Lacson for the 2022 presidential elections.

Speaking on behalf of Mayor Joy Belmonte and other local government officials in the city, Vice Mayor Sotto said they consider Lacson one of their “idols” when ti comes to public service because of his “no-nonsense approach in leadership and strong resolve against corruption.” The young Sotto presides over the 36-member Sangguniang Panlungsod. He is running for re-election under Belmonte’s group.

“Nakita namin ang kanyang sakripisyo, dedikasyon at commitment para makatulong sa tao. Walang drama, walang politika, walang personalan—trabaho lang para sa kanya. (We all saw his sacrifices, dedication and commitment to serve the people. No drama, no personality politics, just pure service),” he said.

QC’s second highest local executive hoped that tricycle operators and driver’s associations (TODA), public transport cooperatives and transport network vehicle drivers who were at the meeting that they would not fall prey to politicians making false promises anew and promoting themselves on social media during the coming polls.

Vice Mayor Sotto said he is convinced that among other presidential aspirants, it is Lacson who is most primed for the highest leadership position in the national government because of his strategic plans of action to address the most pressing problems of our nation, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Marami tayong mga naririnig na mga paninira, mga fake news na kumakalat sa social media. Pero ako naniniwala ang mga brothers and sisters natin sa TODA, hindi magpapaloko at hindi basta-basta maniniwala sa mga paninira o fake news. (We have been hearing a lot of smear campaigns and fake news spreading across social media. But I believe that our brothers and sisters in TODA will not allow themselves to be fooled by them and will not believe these smear tactics and fake news.),” the vice mayor said.

Vice Mayor Sotto noted that the presidential duo of Lacson and Sotto distinguish themselves from other political tandems because they have always been ‘servant leaders’ and not ‘politicians’ throughout their long public service careers. Lacson and Sotto have been engaging various public transport groups for the past few weeks as they understood they are one of the hardest-hit sectors amid the ongoing public health crisis. They said it is the reason they have allocated funds for their assistance in the 2022 national budget.

The elder Sotto even mentioned that he would be proposing a “TODA Welfare Act,” which would look after the needs of public transport drivers and operators whose livelihoods were directly impacted by the pandemic that, in turn, slowed down the economy.

The Senate President and vice-presidential aspirant said he would discuss his proposed ‘TODA Welfare Bill’ with Lacson in their remaining sessions in the 18th Congress, as both senators have committed support to address the concerns of the public transport sector through legislation.

Should they fail to pass the bill on time, Sotto III said he trusts that Partido Reporma senatorial bets Dr. Minguita Padilla and retired General Guillermo Eleazar would keep pursuing the measure if and when they make it to the Senate next elections.