Presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday urged the public to vote wisely for the upcoming May elections, adding that voters should also consider the country’s next generations.
"Isipin natin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga anak, isipin natin ang kinabukasan ng susunod na henerasyon. Huwag na natin isipin ang sarili natin," he said during his proclamation rally in Imus, Cavite.
(Let us think about the future of our children. Let us think about future generations. Let us not think of ourselves.)
"Nagtiis na tayo, kaya pa natin pagtiisan. Alalahanin natin ang ating mga anak, ang magiging anak ng ating mga anak, ang susunod na henerasyon. Ito ba ang gusto natin ipamana sa susunod na henerasyon?"
(We already endured, and we still can. Let us remember our children, the children of our children, the next generation. Is that what we want them to inherit?)
According to Lacson, the Philippines is not progressing because Filipinos are voting for thieves in positions.
"Ang magnanakaw sa gobyerno wala pong pinipili yan. Walang pinipiling nanakawin. Ang ninakaw noon ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan. Ang ating karapatan para makatikim ng magandang edukasyon. Ang ating karapatan para sa maayos na kalusugan. Ang ating karapatan sa livelihood, sa infrastructure," he said.
(Thieves of the government do not discriminate. They do not choose who to steal from. They stole the future of the youth, our right to enjoy good education. Our right to enjoy good health. Our right to livelihood and infrastructure.)
"Ang problema, tayo pa ang namimili sa mga magnanakaw sa atin. Bakit? Binoboto natin sila. Nakapagtataka bakit binoboto natin ang mismong magnanakaw sa atin," he added.
(The problem is: we choose those who steal from us. Why? We vote for them. It’s confusing why we vote for those who are stealing from us.)
Lacson said that while they are not forcing Filipinos to vote for them, he hoped that they would, reiterating that throughout their careers as a public official, he and his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, did not accept any bribes.
"Kami ni SP Sotto nabanggit niya 83 years between us, 83 years ang aming pinaglingkod … ito lang ipagmamalaki namin sa inyo. Ni minsan hindi kami tumanggap ng suhol kapalit ng serbisyo publiko," he said.
(As SP Sotto said, in the 83 years between us, 83 years of public service … we are proud to tell you that not once did we accept bribes in exchange for public service.)
"At kapag kami ay pinagpala ng Diyos, ng Poong Maykapal na manilbihan sa susunod na 6 taon, ipagpapatuloy namin ang aming magandang serbisyo. Ang aming battle cry dalawa: Aayusin ang gobyerno para maging maayos ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino."
(And if God allows it, that we serve for the next six years. We will continue our good service. Our battle cry: Fix the government to fix the lives of every Filipino.)
Lacson is running under the Partido Reporma, while Sotto is under the Nationalist People's Coalition.
