By Xhiela Mie Cruz

PHOTO: Senate PRIB

Binuweltahan ni presidential candidate Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson ang panghihikayat sa kaniya ni vice presidential candidate Lito Atienza na umatras na sa pagtakbo sa darating na halalan ngayong Mayo 2022.

Ani Atienza, nais niyang si Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, kasalukuyang running-mate ni Lacson, at Sen. Manny Pacquiao ang maging magka-tandem kung sakaling tuluyan na siyang umatras sa darating na eleksyon.

"That’s kabastusan to say the least, for somebody like him na mas matanda pa sa akin na magsasabing mag-back out ang isang kandidato without even consulting, that’s insulting,” pahayag ni Lacson sa isang press conference sa Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte.

"For the nth time, I’ll finish this race and I’m not backing out," pahayag ni Lacson. "I suggest that Lito Atienza should go back to school and study GMRC (good manners and right conduct)... Who is he to tell me to withdraw?" dagdag pa niya.

Sa kabilang banda, ipinagdiinan naman ni Atienza na mariin niyang kinukonsidera ang pag-atras sa nasabing posisyong tinatakbuhan niya dahil umano sa sunud-sunod na operasyon nito.

"I can handle the health reasons. As you said, I can do my campaign via Zoom. But the thing is, if it's not helping anymore to a man like Manny Pacquiao, he should be given a clean break," ani Buhay party-list representative sa media.

Dagdag pa niya, ang tandem na Pacquiao-Sotto umano ang bubuwag sa nangunguna ngayong magkatambal na Marcos-Duterte.

"I'm praying and hoping Ping—he already knows the realities of his political position—I hope he backs out, too, and that could change the whole structure," ani Atienza.

"'Pag nagkaroon ng (once there is) national sentiment for a Pacquiao-Sotto tandem, that could catch fire and it could consume the Sara-Bongbong myth," saad pa nito.


Iwinasto ni: Maverick Joe Velasco