The 90-day senatorial campaign is like a long job interview where candidates present themselves to their potential bosses who should choose wisely, former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.
“Senatorial candidates are like job applicants vying for 12 job vacancies available on June 30, 2025 in what could be the longest 90-day job interview. The Filipino people are the ‘HR’ who will vet and decide who to hire to work for them in the next 6 years. Choose wisely,” Lacson said in a post on X.
Related: Ping Lacson, Inilatag ang Resume sa Senatorial ‘Job Interview’
As one such applicant, Lacson pointed out his “resume” would center on his being a watchdog of the national budget who will guard against misuse of the public coffers.
He also reiterated his advocacy for downloading to the local government units unused appropriations averaging P350 billion a year from 2016 to 2023, to fund projects and programs crafted by their local development councils.
“It’s like I am in a job interview, and I will introduce myself in this way: I will continue to guard the nation’s coffers. I have never and will never steal from the national budget. My track record will prove that I have tightly guarded and fought for the proper use of our national budget,” he said in Filipino, during a rally of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Iloilo last Thursday.
Lacson said Panay Island, which is currently in one of the five top performing regions in agriculture, has the potential to be the top performer if given funds from the national budget – especially now that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 82 that strengthens the regional development councils and local development councils.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Lacson said downloading the funds could be a big help in northern Iloilo, where local fishers suffer while their abundant catch of Indian oil sardines get spoiled because of the lack of facilities like cold storage and processing plants. With such facilities, they have the potential to export their catch, he said.
Similarly, Lacson supported the administration’s efforts to digitalize government transactions, which will curb graft and corruption while improving the efficiency of public services.
“That will help make us prosper. If the rural areas prosper, so will the nation,” he said.
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Ping Lacson, Inilatag ang Resume sa Senatorial ‘Job Interview’
Ang 90-araw na senatorial campaign ay parang isang mahabang job interview kung saan ilalatag ng mga kandidato ang kanilang programa sa maaari nilang maging “boss” na kailangang pumili nang mabuti, ayon kay dating Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado.
“Senatorial candidates are like job applicants vying for 12 job vacancies available on June 30, 2025 in what could be the longest 90-day job interview. The Filipino people are the ‘HR’ who will vet and decide who to hire to work for them in the next 6 years. Choose wisely,” ani Lacson sa account niya sa X.
Bilang isa sa mga aplilkante, Ipinunto ni Lacson na ang “resume” niya ay sesentro sa kanyang pagiging bantay ng budget na lalabanan ang maling paggamit ng pera ng taumbayan.
Iginiit din niya ang kanyang adbokasiya para i-download sa local government units ang hindi nagagamit na appropriations na umaabot ng average na P350 bilyon kada taon mula 2016 hanggang 2023, para pondohan ang proyekto at programang dumaan sa mga local development councils.
“Ako ay nakasalang ngayon sa isang job interview. Ganito ko po ipapakilala sa aking sarili: Ipagpapatuloy kong maging bantay sa kaban ng bayan. Hindi naging at hindi magiging bantay salakay sa pambansang budget. Ang aking track record ang siyang magpapatunay na ako ay laging lumalaban lalo na sa pagbabantay at paggamit nang maayos sa ating pambansang budget,” aniya sa talumpati niya sa rally ng mga senatorial bet ng Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas sa Iloilo City noong Huwebes.
Ani Lacson, ang Panay Island ay nasa “Top 5” performing regions sa agrikultura, nguni’t may potensyal maging top performer kung may pondo galing sa pambansang budget, lalo na’t nailagda na ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang Executive Order 82 na pinapalakas ang regional development councils at local development councils.
Sa panayam sa Bombo Radyo Iloilo, ipinunto ni Lacson na malaki ang maitutulong ng pag-download ng pondo sa hilagang Iloilo, kung saan ang lokal na mangingisda ay hindi umaasenso dahil bagama’t marami ang nahuhuli nilang Indian oil sardines, nabubulok ito dahil sa kakulangan ng cold storage at processing plants.
Kung may pondo para sa mga ito, may potensyal ang mga mangingisda na i-export pa ang kanilang huli, aniya.
Sinuportahan din ni Lacson ang pagsisikap ng administrasyon para ma-digitalize ang government transactions, na tutugunan ang korapsyon habang pinapaganda ang serbisyo publiko.
“Yan ang tutulong para maging asenso din ang buong Pilipinas. Pag ang mga kanayunan umasenso, tuluyan ding aasenso ang ating bansa,” aniya.
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