The Presidency is a sacrifice, and I am ready to offer myself.
On this note, Partido Reporma Chairman and standard-bearer Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson stressed his willingness to continue his public service, after seeing the humongous problems facing the country.
"Sa akin tinitingnan ko itong presidency as a sacrifice. Kasi nakapagsilbi na ako. Nagawa ko ang dapat kong gawin, yan ang aking satisfaction sa buhay at matino ang nagawa kong serbisyo. Pero nakita ko ang napakalaking problema at sayang naman ang sabihin ko na ang track record na pinagmamalaki ko (I look at the presidency as a sacrifice. I have already served the public well. But I see the country still faces humongous problems and I feel I can help given my track record)," Lacson said in The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews Saturday night.
"Sayang naman kung hindi ko iaambag ang aking experience, ang aking competence, ang aking track record na napagaaralan sa napakahabang panahon. I think may magagawa pa ako kaya ako nag-decide na tumakbo (It would be a waste if I did not offer my experience to the people. I think I can do something to help, that's why I decided to run)," he added.
He said that should he win, his administration's top three priorities would include budget reform, digitalization of government processes, and ending corruption - in line with his vow to fix the government's ills (Aayusin ang Gobyerno, Aayusin ang Buhay ng Bawat Pilipino) and stopping thieves (Uubusin ang Magnanakaw).
Lacson, who has compiled a solid public service record spanning 50 years in law enforcement and lawmaking, added he has been praying for a better life for Filipinos.
When asked what superpower he would wish for, he said it is to solve the problems of the Philippines and of Filipinos.
"For the longest time talagang naghihirap tayo dahil mostly self-inflicted and mostly because of bad governance. Ang pinagdadasal ko na sana dumating ang panahon na tayong mga Pilipino tayo mamulat na magbantay sa ating mga government officials (For the longest time, we have been suffering mostly due to self-inflicted circumstances and bad governance. I pray the time will come that we Filipinos will wake up and demand accountability from our public servants)," he said.
Lacson also said his biggest fear in life is that Filipinos would lose hope as well as trust in the government. "Pag ganyan ang nangyari wala na tayong kinabukasan (If that happens we will have no future)," he said.
