With the campaign period for the May 9 elections nearing the homestretch, it is not too late for candidates to show respect for the Filipino voters, presidential candidate Senator Panfilo M. Lacson on Monday, April 18 said.
‘’Respect for one another, respect for the election process, and most importantly, respect for our voters,’’ he added.
In his press statement, Lacson said respect for Filipino voters could best be shown by offering them as many choices as possible.
‘’Which is why my running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto and I have made it a point not to ask other candidates to withdraw even as we maintain our stand against negative and baseless personal attacks,’’ he explained.
‘’Having said that, there is a whale of a difference between not making personal and baseless attacks and calling out preemptive maneuvers by some camps to have other bets withdraw - if not officially, then by their “operators,’’ he stressed.
‘’Our country and our people are nearing a critical point in our history. We cannot afford to choose the wrong leader,’’ he added.
In a separate statement, Sotto said that when he and Senator Lacson signed a joint statement with other presidential and vice presidential candidates in last Sunday’s joint press conference of four presidential bets, ‘’it was to uphold the sovereignty of the Filipino voters as they choose our new leaders on May 9.’’
‘'Let me reiterate that we - along with the other signatories - committed to serve in the government of whoever among us is chosen; to combine our forces against any attempt to subvert the will of the electorate by limiting their choices; and to continue with our respective campaigns to give our voters the most choices possible,’’ he said.
‘’That said, it is not automatic that we share the views or statements of other candidates on matters outside the joint statement, much less agree to be bound by such views,’’ he stressed.