Reporma Party to install Lacson as chairman on July 29, 2021

Demokratikong Reporma Party (Reporma) will install Senator Panfilo Lacson as its chairman and standard bearer for Eleksyon 2022 on Thursday, July 29.

Lacson made the confirmation during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual forum Wednesday morning.

“Mayrong in-offer sa ating partido na dati ang namumuno dito si [former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa]. And gusto ko rin dahil ugmang-ugma doon sa gusto kong mangyari kasi Partido Reporma,” he narrated.

(Former Secretary De Villa offered the party to me and I also wanted to join because it is aligned to what I wanted to happen, Partido Reporma.)

“And there are so many volunteers, unexpected from the business sector, from lahat. Nakaka-encourage. Ang masasabi ko lang, whatever happens at the end of this campaign, leading up to the May 9 elections, ang sasabihin ko lang ‘We’ll give it a good fight.’ And walang sariling agenda, kundi agenda lang ng nasa Pilipinas ang titignan namin,” he added.

(There are so many volunteers and it is very unexpected especially the support from the business sector. It was encouraging. What I can say is whatever happens at the end of this campaign, leading up to the May 9 elections, I can say that “We’ll give it a good fight.” We don’t have personal agenda. We will only look into the agenda for the Philippines.)

Lacson said the offer to join Reporma was first opened in 2018 shortly after Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was ousted as speaker of the House of Representatives.

“This was I think 2018, after he was ousted, sabi ko wala nga akong plano. So nag-ikot siya, he was going around the country, parang yung movement niya is ‘We need a leader in 2022,’” he said.

(I told him I have no plans. He went around the country and pushed for the movement which is “We need a leader in 2022.”)

“Nung nakaikot na, saka niya sinabi samin na, ‘We need a leader in 2022, baka pwedeng maghanda ka,’ sabi sa akin ganoon. ‘Ito talaga noong umikot kami, nung inikot ko ito ang nasa isip ko talaga rito ikaw,’” Lacson quoting Alvarez as saying.

(After that, he told us that “We need a leader in 2022, can you please prepare.” He told me that “When we went around for the movement, you are on top of my mind.”)

To recall, Alvarez resigned as secretary-general of PDP-Laban and joined De Villa to lead and revive Reporma, a non-mainstream party.

Lacson and his potential running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, earlier disclosed that they are building alliances with Reporma and Aksyon Demokratiko.

In a statement, Alvarez confirmed that he has met Sotto and Lacson along with several politicians to “discuss matters of urgent importance pursuant to forming a united Philippines alliance.”

Recently, Lacson has confirmed that he and Sotto would run for president and vice president, respectively.

According to the latest Pulse Asia survey, 4% of Filipinos said they would vote Lacson for president while 10% of Filipinos said they would vote for Sotto. — RSJ, GMA News