SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday said that holding snap elections is not the solution to restoring public trust in government, stressing that genuine reform lies in accountability and the certainty of punishment for corrupt officials.
Reacting to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for a “national reset” through mass resignation and fresh polls, Lacson said such moves would only fuel more corruption instead of curbing it.
“Election, snap or regular, is not the solution. In fact, election campaigns actually add to more corruption — of the electorate by the candidates,” he said.
Lacson emphasized that real change requires a strong justice system that ensures swift prosecution and conviction of erring officials.
“For a change, how about certainty of punishment of corrupt politicians? The higher, the better,” he said, adding that “ang katiyakan ng parusa — hindi ang halalan — ang tunay na susi sa pagpapanumbalik ng tiwala ng taumbayan (the certainty of punishment, not elections, is the true key to restoring public trust).”
