Lacson vows good gov’t if elected

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, who could be President Arroyo’s opposition presidential rival in next year’s elections, promised the people good governance yesterday if they elect him to the highest office.

He made the commitment in the course of unveiling the "elements of my program of government" before a group of retired and active officers of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police who are supporting his presidential bid.

"I believe in the Filipino. I believe in his virtues of hard work, thrift, perseverance, his innate goodness and spirituality. These virtues are the stuff that should make for a great and noble race," Lacson said.

He said what is keeping Filipinos from achieving greatness is bad government.

"What is wrong with the Philippines is its government, not necessarily the system, for systems can only be as good as the manner by which they are implemented. It is the way we run government… Our national leaders have miserably failed to provide the requisite moral and inspiring leadership to pull us out of the quagmire that we are in. It is either they don’t know what to do or they just simply don’t want to do it," he said.

The former PNP chief offered the people good and transparent governance and vowed to fight the "three Cs of our malaise as a people, as a nation: crime, corruption and a highly centralized government."

He said if he is elected president, he and immediate family members, and top officials of his government would disclose all their assets and sign a waiver from the Bank Secrecy Law, allowing the public to inquire into their bank deposits.

He said crime thrives partly because criminals are able to corrupt those in power.

"Criminals who prey on society, we have to neutralize. The corrupt in government, we have to punish. And to be effective in rendering service, we have to download both greater resources and greater responsibility to our local government machinery," he said.

Lacson recalled that when he was PNP chief for 14 months during the short-lived Estrada administration, he downloaded funds and other resources from headquarters to his police stations in the provinces.

"The hard and fast rule was 15 percent at HQ and 85 percent for frontline stations. It worked, as you will recall," he told his former colleagues.

Before he was appointed PNP head, the division was 60 percent for Camp Crame and 40 percent to the field units, a proportion that he claimed has been restored since he left the police.

He said during his time as PNP chief, he did not steal any money nor accepted bribes from any source, and imposed a strict no-take policy on his men.

"Kotong (mulcting) became taboo and extinct because I told them it would not only make them lose face, but they would also lose their jobs and even their freedom… I told them I was serious and had the political will to do it in a way I know best — no-nonsense, no matter who would get hurt. But most important of all, their chief was doing exactly what he told them. Leadership by example — there is no substitute for it," he stressed.

Mrs. Arroyo’s potential rival took potshots at her and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, whom he had accused of hiding tens of millions in supposedly illegal funds using the false name Jose Pidal. The First Gentleman has denied the accusation.

He said Filipinos are worried about what is happening to them and their country, "except Jose Pidal and his family" who sing, import expensive horses, and visit all the wakes "while Rome burns."

"Parang sila si Nero noong panahon ng mga Romano at pagano. Habang nasusunog ang Roma, panay ang sing-along ni Nero. Habang nasusunog ang Pilipinas, panay ang hakot ng pera ni Jose Pidal. Panay ang bili ng mamamahaling kabayo ni Mikey na anak ni Jose. Si Mrs., abala sa pangangampanya. Lahat ng burol pinuntahan. Pati konsyerto ni Mandy Moore, dinayo," he said.

"This administration is in total disarray. Businessmen are losing hope. Farmers are suffering from unabated smuggling of rice and vegetables. Laborers and the unemployed have thrown the towel a long time ago. In the meantime, Mr. and Mrs. Jose Pidal earn their money as if there is no tomorrow," he added.

The retired, reservist and active military and police officers who are supporting Lacson have grouped themselves into the Soldiers for Peace and Progress.

Among them are retired Generals Raul Urgello, Emiliano Templo, George Templo, Ruperto Ambil, Pedro Balbanero, Manuel Salimbangon, Ismael Aparri, Jacinto Aquino, Fidel Singson, Rodolfo Rabago, Rodolfo Vasquez, Dante Ruiz and Danilo Francia.