Lacson Relies on ‘Mr. Clean’ Image

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is leveraging his reputation as a crime-buster and anti-corruption champion in his bid to become the next President of the Philippines.

His video advertisement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv_HZnGnsow) highlights some of his major accomplishments as a senator and former head of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Lacson plans to expand on his initiatives to prevent public money from being lost through corruption as president and bring the government closer to the people. His main advocacy is to give more power to local government units that are closest to the citizens and understand the people’s needs best and are in a better position to respond to their problems more effectively.

As highlighted in his TV ads, Lacson’s careful and detailed scrutiny of the national budget has saved the country P300 billion. He proved his strong opposition to the pork barrel that had become for legislators a major perk of their jobs, by refusing it. 

Among the accomplishments, Lacson has listed as proof of his qualification for the highest post in the country are the investigations of the P728 million fertilizer scam, the anomalous $329 million contract between the Philippines and China’s ZTE Company, and Payola or bribery in the Bureau of Customs by exposing the TARA list.

He also brought to the public’s attention the “Hello Garci” tapes, an attempt at cheating during the 2004 elections. 

The former military officer and PNP chief exposed the chopper scam where the government paid brand-new prices for second-hand helicopters.

Lacson’s initiatives as PNP chief earned him a trust rating of 78+ percent from the public, the highest rating ever recorded for the position.