By Ernie Reyes
MANILA — No corruption, no overregulation, no vindictiveness. These
are three of the things Filipinos can expect from a Lacson presidency
in 2022.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed this Thursday as he detailed various
aspects of good governance — including the business climate and the
anti-drug war — under his watch.
“I’ll be unforgiving especially on acts of corruption. It’s a crime
against the Filipino people. We have so many tax measures yet we see
people stealing from government coffers. That should not be forgiven,”
Lacson, who has exposed cases of corruption in the Senate, said in an
interview on ANC.
Lacson also said he will not allow overregulation of businesses by the
government, saying overregulation presents a temptation for the corrupt
to demand grease money.
He said the government should leave the business sector alone but
enforce the laws, and step in if there are excesses by some in the
business sector. “Leave the business sector alone but enforce the
laws,” he said.
On the other hand, Lacson said he will not tolerate vindictiveness
toward those who crossed paths with him, saying one could not move
forward if he or she keeps looking back.
“You try walking forward while looking backward. Matatapilok ka (You
will trip). You cannot go forward if you keep looking back,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said that while anti-illegal drug operations will
continue, it will be holistic.
“As Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said, it will be holistic.
The Duterte administration focused on law enforcement, that’s why we
see so many killings, mostly of those wearing slippers. Like the
Senate President said, we should focus on prevention and
rehabilitation, not just law enforcement. Law enforcement is just one
component of the drug war. Papatay tayo ng papatay ng tao (We will
just see so many deaths) without really seeing a positive resolution
of the drug problem,” he said.
For his part, Sotto said he is offering a holistic approach that
“cannot be just enforcement with police and prosecution which is not
successful at this point.”
“There must be heavy programs on prevention and rehabilitation,” Sotto added.
(ai/mtvn)
