Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, September 9, said he will wait for the final decision of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) on whom it will support for the 2022 presidential race.
Senator Panfilo Lacson of the Partido Para Sa Demokratikong Reporma has announced that he is running for president with Senator Vicente Sotto of NPC as his running mate.
The governor said he will support the official presidential candidate of NPC.
Lacson said he did not sign the governors’ manifesto of support for Davao Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio for president.
It is his wish that Negros Occidental only has one presidential candidate but it is difficult to achieve, he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Manny Pacquiao will announce whether he will run for president or not on October 1, former Bacolod mayor Monico Puentevella said Thursday.
Pacquiao has three choices – to run for president, seek reelection, or end his political career, Puentevella, who is a close ally of the senator, said.
If Pacquiao decides to run for president his boxing career will be over, Puentevella said.
“If he runs for president he will have to focus his time and life to serving the people,” Puentevella added.
Carpio confirmed on Thursday that she is not running for a national position in the next year’s elections, the Philippine News Agency reported.
“Yes, I am not running for a national position as we both agreed only one of us will run for a national position in 2022,” she said, in reference to her father.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday formally accepted his nomination as the official vice presidential candidate of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).*