Pacquiao rejects call for Robredo to withdraw — campaign manager
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is running for president, is not joining a call for Vice President Leni Robredo to withdraw from the high-stakes May elections, his campaign manager said Tuesday.
In a press conference held on Easter Sunday, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso called on Robredo to "be a hero" and withdraw her candidacy, claiming her campaign is not effective against survey frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Robredo has been trailing Marcos in pre-election surveys, which offer a snapshot of public sentiment during the survey period but are not meant to predict poll victory.
"No, he does not," Pacquiao campaign manager Buddy Zamora said in an interview with ABS-CBN Channel when asked if the boxer-turned-politician supports Moreno’s call.
"Senator Pacquiao believes the choice is up to the people. Since everybody filed candidacy for presidency, he’d want the choice to be coming from the people and not from any calls for others to withdraw, he added.
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and former defense chief Norberto Gonzales also attended the press conference held at the five-star Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City. Lacson has clarified that while the press conference was meant to stress that they are not withdrawing from the race, the call for Robredo to withdraw was Moreno's alone.
Pacquiao was supposed to attend the event but he could not make it on time, Zamora said. It was Lacson who invited Pacquiao.
Divine intervention
Zamora said he does not believe "anything was achieved by that presscon."
"The theme was supposed to be for unity, which is a very vague notion," he said.
“We’re only 20 days away from elections and we’ve go through so much time, effort and expenses. Why would anyone withdraw in favor of anybody?"
The campaign manager added he was "relieved" that Pacquiao missed the event.
"We call it divine intervention that he wasn’t able to make it. He was actually in the air, circling around, waiting for instructions to land. But, unfortunately, [he] was able to land just before 2 p.m. and the presser had already finished," Zamora said, noting the backlash that the press conference prompted online.
‘Comedy show’
In a separate interview, Rep. Lito Atienza (Buhay party-list) said his running mate "will not join a comedy show like that" referring to Sunday’s press conference.
"Tinanong ko bakit di ka dumating. Sabi niya: ‘Bakit ako pupunta doon eh naramdaman ko na iba ‘yung sinasabi, iba ‘yung agenda'... Pinagtatawanan kayo ni Senator Manny Pacquiao sapagkat hindi ninyo ginawa yung tama. And he will never be part of anything like that," Atienza told CNN Philippines.
(I asked him why he didn’t attend the event. He said: ‘Why would I go there when I sensed that the agenda had changed ... Senator Manny Pacquiao is laughing at you because you did not do the right thing.)
"Manny Pacquiao, to protect the nation, he will be part of that. But to put one person, especially the one who is trying her best to overtake the number one and then you make an issue out of it na di mo naman makuha ‘yung number one all this time you’re trying so magbitiw ka na, di maganda ‘yun. Pacquiao will not be as cruel as that and I’m proud of it," he added.
Atienza stressed the Pacquiao’s no-show indicates his political wisdom and integrity.
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