Lacson takes up quixotic campaign against Poe

Opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson has been called 'Don Quixote' of Philippine politics as he stepped up a fruitless campaign aimed at making action star Fernando Poe Jr slide down as a vice presidential candidate.

Poe and Lacson's inability to reunite has allowed President Gloria Arroyo to outpace the actor. Furthermore, Lacson has equally strengthened his criticism of President Arroyo as if to amend for his alleged mistake in making her lead over Poe widen.

A continuous, tiring, and futile fight against two leading presidential candidates, both of the opposition and the ruling party, has already taken its toll on Lacson.

"His efforts will not in any way increase his current low popularity rating of more than 10 per cent," analysts said. Instead of training his gun against only one candidate, he is facing two, which could make him thin and desperate, said the same analysts.

At the same time, Lacson has started to train his guns at former president Joseph Estrada, his former ally and now a staunch supporter of Poe. Lacson's spokesman and political strategist Angelito Banayo said Estrada should know better than support Poe. "Estrada should think of the national interest instead of his friends," said Banayo in criticising Poe. "Estrada should think of the larger national interest instead of just following survey results," Banayo added without any reconciliatory note.

"Poe and Estrada are apparently clueless on the extent of the economic and political crisis that beset the country today," said Ramon Pedrosa, lawyer and chairman of Alternatibo, a pro Lacson group.

When Lacson's allies have mercilessly viscerated Estrada, it is a sign that the former president and Lacson have gone their separate ways. "Popularity cannot and will not by itself solve the country's ill," said Pedrosa in defence of Lacson's lacklustre popularity rating.