Lacson still mum on running for president

Presidential Adviser on Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Panfilo M. Lacson stresses a point on rehabilitation work in areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) during a forum in Makati City on Thursday (January 23). (Photo by Robert Viñas / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA — Even if he considers running in next year’s polls, former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he will only announce it when he is decided.

This, according to Lacson, is because he doesn’t want “to lose a second time.”

When asked by his supporters to announce his presidential bid and improve his ratings, Lacson said he declined.

“I said I will not do that because first, I don’t want to lose a second time. Second, I don’t want to back out a second time. So once I decide and once I declare, dapat tuloy-tuloy (it should be for good),” he said.

He made the statement in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Beyond Politics” on Tuesday night.

In the same interview, Lacson said he believes that he could have been a good president if he had won the 2004 bid.

“Because I could have been a good president had I won the 2004, I knew exactly what I would do as I know exactly what I want to do,” he said.

“It is as simple as setting government right because I think that for the longest time the number one problem of this country is government, bad government. So we have to set government right if we want to set this country right.”

But next year, Lacson said he will make sure the voters want him to run in order not to lose.

“But let’s strike a balance between ideology and pragmatism because kung alam naman nating hindi tayo [accepted] ng electorate, why would we insist only to lose? Ayaw ko na ngang matalo for the second time and mag back out for the second time so calculated ito. Once I decide I should see some competitiveness,” he said.

(But let’s strike a balance between ideology and pragmatism because if we know we are not accepted by the electorate, why would we insist only to lose? I don’t want to lose for the second time and back out for the second time so this should be calculated. Once I decide I should see some competitiveness.)