Independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson stressed he can bankroll his own campaign sorties and he has enough funding.
Despite being the former standard-bearer of Partido Reporma, with whom he severed ties, Lacson said he has never been dependent on the party for his campaign.
According to Lacson, he has his funds coming from those who are rallying behind his presidential run, believing in his advocacies.
“I have enough funding for the remainder of the campaign period – until May – as many friends continue to contribute to his cause,” Lacson said.
Lacson resigned as chairperson of Partido Reporma and left the party after former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez informed him through text that the Davao del Norte group which he lead shifted support to VP Leni Robredo.
Meanwhile, Lacson said “We Have a Leader!” Is his updated theme after parting ways with Partido Reporma.
He said the slogan is a tweak from the “We Need a Leader” coined by Alvarez, also Partido Reporma president, who is now backing another bet.
“If the WNAL phrase is no longer for me since it was Alvarez who first concocted it, I may reconsider tweaking it to ‘We Have a Leader.’ Isn’t it much better)?” he said.
Lacson also said his camp will tweak its messaging to overcome the notion of some voters that their votes could be wasted if they vote for him because of his survey numbers.
He will direct his messages to the voters instead of going through political leaders, some of whom are not happy with his strong stand against abuses of the pork barrel system.
“I’m directly banking on voters who will signify their intention to actually vote for me,” he said.
As this developed, Lacson also said he has no reason to be bothered about losing support in Mindanao despite getting betrayed by some members of his former political party.
He continues to receive messages of solidarity and sustained backing coming from the region.
Ahmad Sambitory Bubong, the provincial coordinator of Partido Reporma in Lanao del Sur, recently posted on his personal Facebook account that he had also quit the party to follow the lead of Lacson whom he credited as the reason behind his decision to join the organization in the first place.
Bubong took his oath of membership before Alvarez sometime in October 2021, he has since been designated as a provincial coordinator for the party in Lanao del Sur.
The Iligan City-based fellow is now identifying himself with the BRAVE Movers, an organization that is actively campaigning for Lacson nationwide and his flagship Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program.