Bongbong Marcos won’t attend forum for presidential bets, says KBP prexy

FILE PHOTO: Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has declined to join the forum for presidential aspirants hosted by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) on Friday due to conflict in his schedule, KBP President Herman Basbaño said Thursday.

Basbaño said the KBP sent invitations to Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, labor leader Leody de Guzman, and Marcos to participate in the forum.

Basbaño said all but Marcos accepted the KBP’s invitation.

“Ang hindi tumanggap ng ating imbitasyon ay si former Senator Bongbong Marcos,” Basbaño said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(Former Senator Bongbong Marcos did not accept our invitation.)

“May letter naman sila (Marcos’ camp) declining the invitation. I think it was because of some conflicts sa schedules nila,” he added.

(They have sent a letter declining the invitation. I think it was because of some conflicts in his schedule.)

Basbaño said the KBP respects the decision of Marcos not to attend the event.

“We respect the decision of whoever [presidential aspirant], kung anuman, sa invitation. That is true also for former Senator Bongbong Marcos. Kung hindi niya tinanggap, respetuhin natin ‘yan,” he said.

(We respect whatever their decision is to the invitation. That is true also for former Senator Bongbong Marcos. If he did not accept it, we should respect that.)

In a statement, the camp of Marcos confirmed that there is a conflict in schedule therefore the presidential aspirant would not be able to participate in the interview.

Instead, the camp expressed gratitude to the KBP for inviting Marcos to the forum.

“Although we have been looking forward to BBM’s participation in this event, his current schedules prevent us from accommodating your request,” Marcos’ chief-of-staff Vic Rodriguez said in a statement.

“We look forward to engaging with similar KBP initiatives in the future,” he added.

Marcos also declined to be interviewed by GMA News broadcast journalist Jessica Soho last month. His camp said this is because Soho is biased against the Marcos family, a claim that GMA News strongly denied.

Marcos’ disqualification cases over his tax cases are still pending at the First Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

/MUF