Senator Panfilo Lacson said Monday that the decision of nominees of 1Sambayan for president and vice president to decline is not a good start for the opposition group.
“I don’t think it’s a good start for 1Sambayan, to say the least. Among those nominees, six of them, four have declined, and only two are left. That doesn’t speak well of a convenors’ group making choices for the 2022 national elections,” Lacson said in an interview with ANC.
On Saturday, 1Sambayan released the list of those they wanted to support the presidency and vice president.
These include Vice President Leni Robredo, former senator Antonio Trillanes, Sen. Grace Poe, CIBAC Party-List Rep. Eddie Villanueva, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, and Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto.
But immediately after that, Poe, Santos-Recto, Villanueva, and Diokno immediately said they were not interested in running.
Senator Joel Villanueva also said his father, Bro. Eddie has no plans for running in 2022. Santo-Recto also declined her nomination.
Nominees declining not a good start for 1Sambayan: Lacson
Lacson added that 1Sambayan is not inclusive enough. The senator noted Associate Justice Antonio Carpio rejected him because he authored Anti-Terror Law, which the 1Sambayan is questioning before the Supreme Court.
“I don’t think they are inclusive enough. People, at least those I have spoken to, think there’s exclusiveness in looking for nominees. They set the standards. I authored the Anti-Terror Law, most if not all in convenors’ group are petitioners, right away former Associate Justice Carpio rejected my being nominated,” he said.
“As for my decision, and this much I told him — I’m still processing and as I have already stated repeatedly, pag-aaralan muna naming dalawa ang mga mabibigat na problema ng bansa at mga possible solutions,” Lacson said in a message to GMA News Online.
(We will study first the huge problems of this country and its possible solutions.)
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