Lacson: Mayor Bistek a Revelation, Deserves Senate Seat
More at: https://pinglacson.net/article/lacson-mayor-bistek-a-revelation-deserves-senate-seat

Former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista is a revelation who deserves a Senate seat.

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed this late Saturday after hearing Bautista speak on the need to empower local government units (LGUs) to deal with disasters and other problems.

"Mayor Herbert 'Bistek' Bautista was a revelation in our regular 'Online Kumustahan' with the great people of Antipolo City this afternoon. Hearing him speak for the first time is one great opportunity for me to know the man better. He deserves to be in the Senate," Lacson said on his Twitter account.

Bautista is one of the senatorial bets of the Lacson-Sotto tandem who joined the regular "Online Kumustahan" in Antipolo City. He is running under the Nationalist People's Coalition which Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III chairs. Also joining yesterday's virtual rally were Dr. Minguita Padilla and Paolo Capino under Partido Reporma, which Lacson chairs.

At the "Online Kumustahan," Bautista stressed that Lacson's advocacy to empower LGUs is at no time more needed than now, during the time of disasters and the Covid pandemic.

"Nasa isip niya yung kagalingan ng mga local governments. Alam na alam niya na ang mga lokal na pamahalaan ay may mga pangangailangan. Alam na alam niya na ang mga lokal na pamahalaan ay mga kagalingan naman. Yung mga tao diyan, yung mga nasa departments, magagaling yan, mga equipped yan. Yung mga mayor, vice mayor, konsehal, barangay officials ay may mga kanya-kanyang kakayahan nguni't may kakulangan sa pondo (Lacson believes in local governments and their ability to address their own needs and priorities, so long as they are properly equipped with enough funds)," Bautista, who served as Quezon City mayor, said at the "Online Kumustahan" with residents of Antipolo City's second district.

The former mayor said empowering LGUs will be especially useful now that the country is dealing not just with the Covid pandemic but also with disasters from typhoons.

Bautista, who studied at the University of the Philippines- NCPAG and National Defense College of the Philippines, also cited his experience as mayor where anticipation and planning are key.

"Sa pagsasaayos ng pondo o ang tinatawag na ni President Lacson na budget reforms ay bababa po yan hanggang sa barangay para yung pagtugon sa mga pangangailangan po talaga ng mga barangay, kung ano man yung nagiging suliranin nila sa kanilang mga lugar (With budget reforms, much-needed funds will go down to the local governments to address their needs and priorities)," he said.