There I was, watching Senator Ping Lacson questioning the disappearance of billions in PhilHealth funds after the bicameral conference committee.
It was vintage Lacson — precise, relentless, allergic to excuses.
And it made me reimagine something I’d shelved years ago:
What if, in 2028, we had a Leni Robredo–Ping Lacson tandem?
Yes, I know — the likelihood is slim. They come from different camps. They have different styles. And they’ve run against each other before.
But what if they chose collaboration over competition?
What if integrity and discipline decided to run on the same ticket?
Why This Idea Still Matters
The Philippines has a habit of forcing voters into false choices.
Do we pick the leader with a good heart but no grip on systems?
Or the one with discipline but no empathy for ordinary people?
We’ve lived through both extremes.
The results speak for themselves:
- Programs that start with fanfare but die quietly.
- Reforms that never touch the people who need them most.
- A trust deficit so deep we barely believe any “change is coming” speech.
A Leni–Lacson partnership breaks that cycle.
Heart Meets Spine
- Leni Robredo brings moral credibility, community connection, and a track record of making the most out of the least. As vice president, she built partnerships, mobilized volunteers, and delivered transparent, measurable programs — all while being sidelined by the administration.
- Ping Lacson offers a different but equally rare value: uncompromising fiscal discipline, anti-corruption experience, and the ability to spot weaknesses in a system before they become disasters.
One leads from the ground up.
The other leads by cleaning the machinery.
Together, they could deliver both compassion and competence.
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The Problems We Face — and What They Could Fix
1. Corruption Fatigue
Today’s Problem: We lose billions every year to ghost projects, padded budgets, and political pork. Many Filipinos now shrug it off with “lahat naman kurakot.”
What They Bring:
- Leni institutionalizes transparency, from barangay-level projects to national programs.
- Lacson audits and exposes budget anomalies with surgical precision.
Benefit: Corruption becomes the exception, not the rule. They could lock in anti-corruption measures that don’t depend on who’s in Malacañang.
2. Weak Disaster Response
Today’s Problem: We are one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, yet our response often looks like photo-ops with relief goods.
What They Bring:
- Leni is hands-on and quick to mobilize grassroots volunteers during crises.
- Lacson has logistics and crisis management experience from law enforcement and legislative oversight.
Benefit: Relief that’s faster, fairer, and more coordinated — no more endless waiting in evacuation centers.
3. Deep Political Division
Today’s Problem: The country is split into camps that refuse to talk to each other. National debates turn into tribal shouting matches.
What They Bring:
- Leni commands trust among volunteer groups, civic organizations, and progressives.
- Lacson has credibility among centrists, conservatives, and security sectors.
Benefit: If they can work together despite their history, they could model unity that bridges polarized communities.
4. Short-Term Policy Syndrome
Today’s Problem: Every new administration scraps the previous one’s programs. Good ideas die every six years.
What They Bring:
- Leni champions programs that serve the poor and marginalized.
- Lacson ensures these programs have the legal backbone and funding safeguards to survive political cycles.
Benefit: Long-term reforms that last beyond personalities.
5. Low Public Trust in Government
Today’s Problem: Filipinos feel alienated from their own government. Leaders are seen as self-serving, not service-oriented.
What They Bring:
- Leni closes the gap between government and people through authentic engagement.
- Lacson enforces accountability with rules and systems that the public can measure.
Benefit: A government that delivers — and is believed when it says it will.
An Unlikely Conversation
Picture this.
It’s late afternoon in Naga. A public forum has just wrapped up. Leni and Lacson sit across from each other at a wooden table, coffee mugs between them.
Leni: “We can’t keep losing good programs every six years. People suffer when everything resets.”
Lacson: “Then we need laws. Not just plans. Lock them in so the next administration can’t throw them away.”
Leni: “And make sure those laws serve the people — not the politicians.”
A pause.
Outside, children run across the plaza. For a fleeting moment, the country feels possible again.
Why This Vision Still Has Value
Even if they never run together, the idea of a Leni–Lacson tandem forces us to raise our standards.
We don’t have to settle for either empathy or efficiency.
We can demand both.
And we can demand it from leaders at every level — from barangay captain to president.
Ask:
- Will this leader listen to the people?
- Will they fix the system so good ideas survive?
Because the Philippines doesn’t just need another leader with slogans.
We need leadership that can deliver heart and spine in equal measure.
Start with the leaders you already have in your local area.
Push for transparency and accountability.
Support those who show both compassion and competence.
A Leni–Lacson 2028 tandem might remain a “what if.”
But the bigger truth?
We can build that kind of leadership now — if we stop accepting the false choice between heart and discipline.
