Independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson has managed to win over converts in parts of Bicol where he campaigned on Friday, April 29.
Lacson and senatorial candidate Dr. Minguita Padilla noted that the audiences at their town hall meetings in Catanduanes and Camarines Sur became enthusiastic after noticing he and Padilla listened to their problems.
"Sa una, parang kaunti lang ang responses na narinig, yung reactions (At first, there seemed to be little response from the audience in our town hall meeting). But then after the open forum, something really changed, talagang na-reversed ang situation, so we would like to think na yung conversation napakalaki. Kasi naiba talaga, very very visible (But after the open forum, something really changed. The situation was reversed. So we would like to think there was a conversion. There was a very, very visible change)," Lacson said in a press statement.
He said they even had to extend the town hall meeting in Catanduanes by at least 30 minutes because of the engagement from the audience.
Padilla added some members of the audience wearing pink masks even followed them to their vehicles and said, "Nag-switch na kami (We're switching to Lacson)."
"As it turned out, nakapag-convert and that was very evident in Catanduanes (As it turned out, we won over some converts and that was very evident in Catanduanes)," Lacson said.
In the Naga town hall event, Lacson noted that the audience stayed until the very last minute.
When asked if this gave him hope, he said, “Definitely."
Bicol is the bailiwick of presidential candidate, Vice President Leni Robredo.