First of four parts
With the overseas absentee voting set to begin on April 10, registered Filipino voters all over the world will be casting their ballots for the country’s next set of officials, including the 17th president, and determine the course of the nation’s progress in the coming years.
In this four-part series, VERA Files Fact Check compiled relevant information about six of the top candidates vying for Malacañang, and their respective vice presidential bets, to help voters make the ultimate decision.
Grouped alphabetically, each profile contains a summary of the candidates’ main platform, experience in public office or field of expertise, issues and controversies faced, relatives in government, and other interesting facts.
Likewise listed are previous fact checks of the candidate done by VERA Files Fact Check and its media and academic partners in the Tsek.ph collaboration.
(See VERA FILES FACT SHEET: Who among the 2022 hopefuls have spread misinformation)
Part 1 of this series includes three presidential bets, namely, labor leader Leody De Guzman, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
Scroll down to know more about the candidates:
Leodegario “Leody” De Guzman
Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
Have you seen any dubious claims, photos, memes, or online posts that you want us to verify? Fill out this reader request form.
Sources
De Guzman
- Commission on Elections, List of Candidates
- Personal Communication, VERA Files
- Ka Leody Media Release, Ka Leody De Guzman Short Profile
- Commission on Elections, Senatorial Summary Statement of Votes, Aug. 23, 2019
- PhilStar.com, Who is the Labor Win Alliance?, March 4, 2019
- Manila Bulletin, Labor groups present own senatorial slate ‘Labor Win’, Feb. 15, 2019
- Rappler, Labor Senate bets: We have ‘real credentials’ to push for pro-poor policies, Feb. 15, 2019
- Sanlakas Facebook Page, Sanlakas supports Ka Leody De Guzman as he accepts the nomination as Presidential candidate of PLM – Partido Lakas ng Masa, and Atty. Luke Espiritu, President of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, as he accepts the nomination to run as Senator , Sept. 28, 2021
- DZRV 846, LIVE: CATHOLIC E-FORUM with Presidential aspirant Ka Leody De Guzman, Feb. 14, 2022
Domagoso
- Isko Moreno Domagoso – Official Website, Bilis Kilos, n.d.
- Isko Moreno Domagoso – Official Website, Education, n.d.
- Isko Moreno | Official Website, About, n.d.
- Lungsod ng Maynila, City Mayor, n.d.
- Isko Moreno Domagoso, Bilis Kilos 10-Point Economic Agenda, Jan. 31, 2022
- Rappler, Isko presents economic platform: More loans for businesses, ‘clear’ pandemic plan, Jan. 31, 2022
- One News PH, Isko Moreno: Platforms and advocacies, Feb. 4, 2022
- Manila Bulletin, Mayor Isko would have remained an actor or become a seaman if politics did not beckon, Jan. 22, 2022
- Rappler, Isko Moreno: From the slums of Tondo to Manila’s throne, May 26, 2019
On illegal gambling
- ABS-CBN News, Vice mayor Isko arrested in Manila, Feb. 16, 2013
- Inquirer.net, DOJ drops illegal gambling charge vs. Isko Moreno, others, March 22, 2014
- Rappler, Isko Moreno: Bingo case malicious, fabricated, June 25, 2013
On plunder raps
- DZMM TeleRadyo, Isko sa kasong plunder: Usong-uso, Sept. 13, 2014
- Philstar.net, Isko Moreno faces plunder raps, Sept. 9, 2014
- GMA News Online, Manila Vice Mayor Isko, other city officials face plunder raps, Sept. 10, 2014
- ABS-CBN News, Isko Moreno on plunder raps: ‘Usong-uso eh,’ Sept. 12, 2014
On switching political parties
- CNN Philippines, Moreno sees nothing wrong with switching parties, says loyalty is with Filipinos, Feb. 4, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Isko Moreno on changing political colors: My loyalty only lies with the people, Jan. 22, 2022
- ABS-CBN News, Isko deflects ‘political opportunist’ tag with Manuel Quezon quote, Feb. 4, 2022
On excess political funds
- CNN Philippines, CNN Philippines 2022 Presidential Debate, Feb. 27, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Isko Moreno: I did my duty, paid taxes on excess campaign funds, Feb. 27, 2022
- Manila Bulletin, Mayor Isko admits keeping excess campaign funds, Feb. 27, 2022
- Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, 13 bets, 4 parties raise P69-M excess donations, Dec. 7, 2016
- Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Examining 2016 Election Candidates’ SOCEs and SALNs, Dec. 8, 2016
Lacson
- FAST FACTS: 2022 presidential nominee Ping Lacson, vice presidential nominee Tito Sotto, Sept. 8, 2021, Rappler
- SPEECH OF SENATOR PING LACSON: Lacson-Sotto Proclamation Rally, Imus, Cavite (Feb. 8, 2022), Ping Lacson’s official website
- Speech, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Senate of the Philippines
- Speech, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Ping Lacson’s official website
Government Experience/Field of Expertise
- Senate of the Philippines
- Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson (Biography), Senate of the Philippines
- Senate Bill No. 2567 of the 13th Congress, Senate of the Philippines
- Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, The Official Gazette
- Senate Bill No. 21 of the 18th Congress, Senate of the Philippines
- Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, The Official Gazette
- Committee Report No. 233, 17th Congress, Senate of the Philippines
- Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, The Official Gazette
Issues and Controversies
- On the Dacer-Corbito Double Murder Case
- Lacson’s escape to avoid arrest expected, says Dacer’s daughter, Feb. 10, 2010, Philippine Star
- Philippine senator flees abroad to escape charges, Feb. 3, 2010, Taiwan News
- Lacson flees RP, Feb. 3, 2010, Philippine Star
- What Went Before: Suspects in Dacer, Corbito murders, Feb. 8, 2015, Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Lacson back in PHL from HK after hiding for over a year, March 26, 2011, GMA News Online
- Lacson back in Manila after over a year in hiding, March 26, 2011, ABS-CBN News
- Lacson says he was a fugitive from injustice, March 29, 2011, Philippine Daily Inquirer
- CA-G.R. SP NO. 116057, Court of Appeals Sixth Division, Feb. 3, 2011, Ping Lacson’s official website
- Senator Ping Lacson, humarap sa iba’t ibang isyu | Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews, Jan. 22, 2022, GMA News
- Lacson blames Arroyo for his involvement in Dacer-Corbito case, Jan. 30, 2022, GMA News
- Alleged torturer during Martial Law
- Dark Legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime, Alfred McCoy, Sept. 20, 1999, accessed via Hartford Web Publishing: World History Archives
- Senator Ping Lacson, humarap sa iba’t ibang isyu | Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews, Jan. 22, 2022, GMA News
- Kuratong Baleleng
- The Kuratong Baleleng Gang Case- A Saga Revisited, November 2004, Arellano Law and Policy Review Vol. 5 No. 2
- It’s final: SC drops ‘Kuratong’ murder raps vs Lacson, March 4, 2013, Inquirer.net
- SC junks govt appeal, clears Lacson with finality in Kuratong Baleleng case, March 4, 2013, GMA News
- It’s final: SC clears Lacson in ‘Kuratong Baleleng’ case, March 5, 2013, Philippine Star
Interesting facts
- Sen. Lacson’s Sponsorship Speech for the Philippine ID System (National ID), March 12, 2018, Senate of the Philippines
- Senate Bill No. 833, June 30, 2004, Senate of the Philippines
- 18th Congress Committee Chairmanship, Senate of the Philippines
- Vote Pilipinas, Presidential Candidate | 5. Lacson, Ping, accessed March 25, 2022
- Senator Ping Lacson, humarap sa iba’t ibang isyu | Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews, Jan. 22, 2022, GMA News
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)