Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Bongbong Marcos (FILE PHOTOS)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday challenged fellow presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to a debate, saying the public should be given an avenue to ask about controversies surrounding him.
Robredo made the call as she pointed out that Marcos is the only presidential candidate to not participate in a debate attended by all the other candidates.
“Sa puntong ito, isang kandidato na lang ang hindi pa humaharap sa taumbayan sa isang debate kasama ang lahat ng ibang kandidato. Mahalaga sana ito para masuri kami ng publiko, at para marinig nila at mapagkumpara ang vision at pagkatao namin,” Robredo said in a statement.
(At this point, only one candidate has not faced the public in a debate with all the other candidates. It is important that the public can see us so they can hear and compare our visions and character.)
“Inaanyayahan ko si Ginoong Bongbong Marcos na makipagdebate, para mabigyan ang taumbayan ng pagkakataong makaharap siya at matanong tungkol sa mga kontrobersiyang pumapalibot sa kanya,” she added.
(I am inviting Mr. Marcos to engage in a debate so that the public can be given a chance to see him and ask him about the controversies surrounding him.)
“We owe it to the people and to our country. Kung papayag po kayo, anytime, anywhere, darating ako (If you agree, then I will be there—anytime, anywhere.)
Marcos has previously been criticized for shunning presidential debates and forums attended by his fellow presidential candidates—including the first two presidential debates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Marcos, however, attended the debates organized by media network SMNI. Other presidential candidates—Robredo, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao—did not attend the SMNI debates.
Meanwhile, both Robredo and Marcos have opted to skip the upcoming presidential panel interviews organized by Comelec and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).
Robredo said she has already engaged in a number of panel interviews which can be accessed online. She said she opts to spend the remaining days of the campaign with her supporters and volunteers.
“Sa loob ng ilang araw, boboto na ang mga Pilipino. Halos tatlong buwan nang tumatakbo ang official campaign period, at naihayag ko na sa maraming pagkakataon ang track record, mga plano, at mga prinsipyo ko,” Robredo said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Marcos opted to end his campaign with visits to his supporters through town hall meetings and political rallies, according to his spokesperson Atty. Vic Rodriguez.