Was the failure of presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson to produce P800 million for Partido Reporma the real reason former Speaker Pantaleon ‘’Bebot’’ Alvarez switched his support from the lawmaker to his rival, Vice President Leni Robredo?
‘’His (Alvarez’s) chief of staff was asking for 800 million pesos in additional funding which I honestly told him I cannot produce,’’ Lacson in a statement released Friday, March 25.
In a surprise turn of events Thursday, Lacson, while campaign in Mindanao, announced his resignation as both chairman and member of Alvarez’s Partido Reporma.
Hours later, Alvarez, with Robredo seated beside him during a press conference, announced that his party was supporting the opposition leader.
‘’If pre-election surveys was his (Alvarez’s) primary reason for switching his support, I don’t believe it because like me, Mayor Isko (Moreno) and Senator Pacquiao, his newly chosen candidate is also lagging far behind the survey leader," Lacson said.
In poll surveys, presidential candidate former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads a 10-man pack. He leads Robredo by a mile. At third and fourth place are Moreno and Pacquiao, respectively. Fifth is Lacson.
‘’Time to call a spade a spade. It was actually more about the issue of campaign expenses for their local candidates,’’ Lacson said.
‘’As I said yesterday, I harbor no ill-feelings for what he did. It is better that he both stop talking about this but if he insists to explain his action, I’ll be prompted to respond to correct his statements,’’ he added.