Ferdinand Marcos Jr. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Chaos may ensue if former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the front-runner in pre-election surveys, wins the hotly-contested 2022 presidential elections, a presidential candidate said.
Sen. Manny Pacquiao gave the warning as he and his fellow presidential aspirants entered the last week of the campaign period for the May 9 elections.
“This I will tell you: If Bongbong wins, the chaos will not end. The Yellows will not allow it,” Pacquiao said in Ormoc City on Friday, referring to the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
He went on: “If the Yellows win, will the other camp let it? So our politics has always been like that. We are no longer focused on the country’s economic development and the people are affected by it.”
Earlier, Vice President Leni Robredo dared Marcos to a one-on-one televised debate but Marcos’ camp rejected the challenge.
Marcos has drawn flak from his critics for shunning the Comelec’s presidential debates and a number of presidential interviews in recent months.
On March, Pacquiao himself dared Marcos to a one-on-one debate if the latter was “shy” to face a big crowd.
On Friday, Pacquiao maintained that he was not afraid to face scrutiny in a debate as it was similar to a very important job interview for the highest post in the land.
“People even underestimated me. I am not afraid of being invited to debates. I joined them all because running for president means you shouldn’t be choosy in attending debates. Your nonattendance in a debate means you are avoiding an issue or concealing something,” Pacquiao said.
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