Lacson withdraws from Manila mayoralty race
January 3, 2007 | 12:00am
Sen. Panfilo Lacson formally announced yesterday his withdrawal from the mayoralty race in Manila.
He will be pursuing his bid for re-election at the Senate under the opposition slate instead.
"I decided to drop my mayoralty bid in favor of re-election. I offered apologies to my organizers in Manila and those who advocated or supported my candidacy for mayorship," Lacson said.
He conceded that his failure to attain the basic requirement of residency was his primary reason for dropping his mayoralty bid, a move welcomed by his fellow senator, Alfredo Lim, who is gunning anew for the Manila post.
Lacson announced his mayoralty bid last year after he said he had gotten a "sign" from a "man of the cloth."
Sought for reaction, Lim lauded Lacson’s move and described it as "reflective of what he truly is as an official and private citizen."
"Instead of allowing his supporters to do something to ‘fix’ the residency requirement for his candidacy, he rejected this and opted to yield," Lim said.
Even if he complies with the transfer of his voters’ registration and residency, for at least six months and one year, respectively, prior to his candidacy as required by law, Lacson said his problem is the need to show proof that he intends to live in Manila permanently and abandon his previous residence.
"It was more complicated...(these qualifications) we failed to look into (these) when we launched our bid for Manila," Lacson told reporters at the Senate yesterday.
Lacson’s nemesis, former narcotics agent Mary Ong, alias Rosebud, frowned on the senator’s "fickle-mindedness."
"Whatever happened to God’s sign?" she asked.
Parrying criticisms, Lacson was quick to say though that he also consulted the same "man of the cloth," whom he talked to prior to his decision to run for Manila.
He added that he even went to see Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz to seek guidance.
Lacson said he is joining the opposition ticket being formed by former President Joseph Estrada under the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and the United Opposition.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada also announced yesterday that Lacson is "definitely" being drafted for the unity ticket of the political opposition and that the elder Estrada has given blessings for Lacson to be part of the opposition’s Magic 12 .
Meanwhile, actor Richard Gomez is gunning for the Senate and is said to be courting the blessings of Estrada for him to be included in the opposition’s line-up.
Sen. Estrada said his father had advised Gomez to decide whether he really wants to run for senator or for governor of Bulacan.
"When my father spoke to him yesterday, he advised Richard to think about it," the younger Estrada told reporters, adding that the opposition is open to support Gomez’s bid for the Senate or for a local post.
"Maybe we will try to squeeze him in since there are really many vying for senator. But we cannot assure the seat at this time," he said.
The coalition, he said, has the final say on the official line-up for the opposition.
Estrada confirmed that the opposition is indeed working on a unity ticket with the United Opposition, Partido ng Masang Pilipino, Senate President Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party, PDP-Laban, and the Liberal Party faction of Sen. Franklin Drilon.
He will be pursuing his bid for re-election at the Senate under the opposition slate instead.
"I decided to drop my mayoralty bid in favor of re-election. I offered apologies to my organizers in Manila and those who advocated or supported my candidacy for mayorship," Lacson said.
He conceded that his failure to attain the basic requirement of residency was his primary reason for dropping his mayoralty bid, a move welcomed by his fellow senator, Alfredo Lim, who is gunning anew for the Manila post.
Lacson announced his mayoralty bid last year after he said he had gotten a "sign" from a "man of the cloth."
Sought for reaction, Lim lauded Lacson’s move and described it as "reflective of what he truly is as an official and private citizen."
"Instead of allowing his supporters to do something to ‘fix’ the residency requirement for his candidacy, he rejected this and opted to yield," Lim said.
Even if he complies with the transfer of his voters’ registration and residency, for at least six months and one year, respectively, prior to his candidacy as required by law, Lacson said his problem is the need to show proof that he intends to live in Manila permanently and abandon his previous residence.
"It was more complicated...(these qualifications) we failed to look into (these) when we launched our bid for Manila," Lacson told reporters at the Senate yesterday.
Lacson’s nemesis, former narcotics agent Mary Ong, alias Rosebud, frowned on the senator’s "fickle-mindedness."
"Whatever happened to God’s sign?" she asked.
Parrying criticisms, Lacson was quick to say though that he also consulted the same "man of the cloth," whom he talked to prior to his decision to run for Manila.
He added that he even went to see Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz to seek guidance.
Lacson said he is joining the opposition ticket being formed by former President Joseph Estrada under the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and the United Opposition.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada also announced yesterday that Lacson is "definitely" being drafted for the unity ticket of the political opposition and that the elder Estrada has given blessings for Lacson to be part of the opposition’s Magic 12 .
Sen. Estrada said his father had advised Gomez to decide whether he really wants to run for senator or for governor of Bulacan.
"When my father spoke to him yesterday, he advised Richard to think about it," the younger Estrada told reporters, adding that the opposition is open to support Gomez’s bid for the Senate or for a local post.
"Maybe we will try to squeeze him in since there are really many vying for senator. But we cannot assure the seat at this time," he said.
The coalition, he said, has the final say on the official line-up for the opposition.
Estrada confirmed that the opposition is indeed working on a unity ticket with the United Opposition, Partido ng Masang Pilipino, Senate President Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party, PDP-Laban, and the Liberal Party faction of Sen. Franklin Drilon.
BrandSpace Articles
<
>
- Latest
- Trending
Trending
Latest
