Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has rejected rumors suggesting he is preparing for a presidential bid in 2028, affirming that he will retire from public office once his current Senate term ends in 2031—or potentially earlier.
Lacson clarified his future political plans following ongoing disputes with Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano regarding alleged illegal reclamation projects along the Taguig City lakeshore, a long-standing stronghold of the Cayetano family.
The former Philippine National Police chief emphasized that his scrutiny of the reclamation project should not be interpreted as early campaigning for higher office.
“At kung hahaluan pa ng kulay pulitika, i.e. may plano daw akong tumakbong presidente sa 2028, watch me – my public service career ends when I finish my term as senator in 2031. I might even retire earlier,” Lacson stated.
The veteran lawmaker, known for his firm stance against pork barrel funds, also expressed exhaustion over his long-standing anti-graft crusade.
“Fighting corruption in this country is exhausting and frustrating,” he remarked.
First elected to the Senate in 2001, Lacson launched unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 2004, won by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and in 2022, won by Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Lacson’s 2022 vice-presidential running mate and the nation’s longest-serving senator, has similarly indicated plans to step down from politics when his term expires in 2031.