MANILA, Philippines – Independent presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson headed home to cast his vote in Imus, Cavite, on Monday, May 9.

Lacson voted past 7 am at the Bayan Luma Elementary School, where he studied as a child.

It was also in Imus where Lacson launched his presidential campaign on February 8 with his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Sotto is a voter in Quezon City.

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Lacson, a three-time senator, is the most senior of presidential candidates and is the only one in the 2022 race who has previously sought the presidency. Lacson ran and lost in 2004, winning only in Cavite.

In his 2022 run, Lacson sought to captivate voters with his long experience in the Philippine National Police, retiring as one of its most recognizable chiefs, and with his track record in the Senate, where he is a consistent top performer in national polls.

His survey numbers for the presidency, however, had him trailing younger candidates. The latest survey by Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated showed him as the 5th favored candidate by voters, registering only 2% in a survey conducted from April 16 to 21.

In earlier interviews, Lacson acknowledged his poor performance in the surveys, saying that if he loses the presidency for the second time, it meant that the voters “were not ready” for him.

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– Rappler.com