Senator Manny Pacquiao, presidential candidate for the 2022 elections, speaks during a news conference in one of his sorties in Rizal. Contributed photo
MANILA, Philippines — The campaign manager of Senator Manny Pacquiao admitted Tuesday feeling “relieved”—and even attributed it to divine intervention—that their candidate was unable to attend the press conference held by three other presidential candidates over the weekend.
During the press conference at the Manila Peninsula Hotel attended by presidential candidates Panfilo Lacson, Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Norberto Gonzales, the bets said they were not withdrawing from the race as they slammed supposed calls for them to drop their bids.
In the same presser, Moreno also called on Vice President Leni Robredo, who so far is placing second in the pre-election surveys, to drop her presidential bid, saying “whatever [she is] doing is not effective against the Marcos.” Moreno was referring to presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Robredo supporters, however, slammed the holding of the presser saying the call to withdraw was out of line.
“Yes. I was, I was kind of relieved na…I think the choice was, we call it divine intervention that he was not able to make it,” Pacquiao’s campaign manager Buddy Zamora said when asked in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel if he felt relieved that his candidate was not able to attend the presser.
Pacquiao was supposed to attend the event but did not arrive before it ended. According to Zamora, Pacquiao made the decision to join the press conference in General Santos City “without our prior knowledge.”
Critics have pointed out that the presser seemingly exuded “macho politics” as three male presidential candidates criticized the lone female bet Robredo.
While Zamora said Pacquiao does not support the call for Robredo to withdraw from the presidential race, he said he does not agree.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Zamora said.
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