Senator Manny Pacquiao. Contributed photo
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao claimed that Filipinos should not vote for fellow presidential aspirants Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and former senator Bongbong Marcos as both have been linked to corrupt practices.
Pacquiao said this at the one-on-one interview with presidential aspirants hosted by Boy Abunda on Friday, during the part where candidates were asked why Filipinos must not vote for their rivals.
“May corruption issue,” Pacquiao said of Moreno.
“May bahid ng corruption,” he said about Marcos. “May issue ng corruption, alam mo naman ang korapsyon sa ating bansa ay talagang yan ang dahilan kung bakit naghihirap.”
(There is corruption, and that is the reason why there are many poor people in the country.)
INQUIRER.net has already sought the side of both Moreno and Marcos’ camps, but they have not yet replied as of posting time.
When asked about fellow Senator Panfilo Lacson and Vice President Leni Robredo, Pacquiao said he does not know why people must not vote for them.
“Hindi ko alam,” he said on two occasions.
(I do not know.)
Turning to him, Abunda then asked Pacquiao why people should pick him. The boxing champ-turned-senator then said that he knew what it was like to be poor, and he knows the formula how to resolve that problem.
“Naranasan kong matulog sa klaye, naranasan kong walang pagkain sa isang araw at ramdam ko ang naramdaman ng sambayanang Pilipino, at nakita ko ang problema ng ating bansa. Dahil sa nakita ko, kaya kong resolbahin,” he claimed.
(I experienced how to be poor, I have experienced of having no food in a day that is why I feel the need of the people.)
This portion of Abunda’s interview, called “Fast Talk,” has been controversial after Vice President Leni Robredo did not hesitate to criticize her political rivals — earning the ire of Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
READ: Robredo slams Bongbong, rivals in Boy Abunda’s interview
READ: Robredo aware remarks may irk other bets: Question answered ‘in my honest opinion’
Robredo said that people should not vote for Lacson because he lacks in on-the-ground action — which both Lacson and Sotto contested.
READ: Lacson spurns Robredo’s ‘maraming salita, kulang sa gawa’ remark: ‘Hindi lang ako ma-epal’
READ: ‘I can’t take that sitting down!’ Sotto defends Lacson after Robredo comment