BY ASHZEL HACHERO, RAYMOND AFRICA and PETER TABINGO
PRESIDENTIAL candidates Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales yesterday said they will pursue their presidential bids whatever their survey ratings are.
The three appeared at a joint press conference at a hotel in Makati City, which Moreno said should dispel any notion, fake news, deviation or misinformation that one of them might withdraw from the presidential race in the remaining three weeks before Election Day on May 9.
The three, in a joint statement read by Moreno, vowed to fight together “any attempt to subvert the true will of the people by pre-emptive maneuvers or otherwise limit their choices.”
“Each of us will continue with our respective presidential campaigns and strive to be worthy of choices from which our people will select,” they said.
Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao was initially expected to join the press conference but did not show up despite assurance from his camp.
All four are trailing in opinion polls in the run-up to the May 9 election, while former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, son and namesake of the late dictator, has retained a clear lead. Vice President Leni Robredo is far behind in second place.
Lacson said, “There were many attempts to limit the electorate’s choices to two (Marcos and Robredo). That’s why we had to do this (joint press conference).” He did not identify who was making such moves.
Moreno, in the conference, asked Robredo to make the “supreme sacrifice” by withdrawing her presidential candidacy if she does not want survey front runner Marcos Jr. to win the election.
Also present in the conference was Moreno’s running mate, Willie Ong, and Lacson’s, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
Moreno said Pacquiao was supposed to be present at the press conference but he was still on his way to Manila from General Santos City in Mindanao at the time of the press conference.
“Just to confirm, I personally talked to Senator Manny Pacquiao… He is one with the group, definitely,” Moreno said.
“We are united here today that we are offering ourselves to the people. If you want peace of mind, let’s focus on our people and the problems of this country. This is not about us candidates but tungkol sa buhay ng tao, ng mga anak natin at sa kakaharapin natin sa loob ng susunod na anim na taon (but about the people’s lives, our children, and what we will face in the next six years),” he added.
He also said they would fight any attempt to “subvert” the will of the people in the upcoming election.
“Kami, pangalawa ay magsasanib pwersa upang labanan ang anumang pagtatangka upang baluktutin ang totoong pagpapasya ng taumbayan sa pamamagitan ng paggalaw na hindi kanais-nais o maglilimita sa malayang pagpili ng ating kababayan (We will join forces and fight any attempt to subvert the will of the people),” he said.
Gonzales echoed Moreno’s remarks and said he is ready to serve in the Cabinet if any one of them gets to Malacañang.
“Napagkasunduan namin na sinuman ang manalo magtutulong tulong kami na maglingkod sa bayan. Manalo, matalo andyan kami para sa bayan (We agreed that whoever of us win, we will be there to serve the country.Win or lose, we will be there),” said Gonzales, who served as defense chief under then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
He also said he would not allow any attempt to subvert the will of the electorate, either through cheating or other foul means.
However, Moreno and Gonzales were vague on who will attempt to subvert the results of the elections.
‘LET LENI WITHDRAW’
Moreno asked Robredo to withdraw her candidacy for president if she and her supporters want to prevent Marcos from winning the elections.
He offered himself as an alternative candidate to Filipinos who want “peace of mind,” referring to his usual pitch in campaign rallies that elections seemed to be always about the feud between the Aquino and Marcos families.
“At the very least I can give you peace of mind. Time to move on,” he said.
He said the Robredo and Marcos camps want to win only so they could exact revenge.
He then called on Robredo to make the “supreme sacrifice” by withdrawing her candidacy.
“Kung meron mang supreme sacrifice, ‘yung number 2 sa survey should do and start. Let Leni withdraw. Withdraw, Leni, if you love your country,” he said, playing on the “Let Leni lead” call of Robredo’s supporters.
Moreno said that unlike Robredo, he, Lacson, Pacquiao and Gonzales have something to offer the country, adding her camp failed with its anti-Marcos campaign.
DISGUST
Lacson said he believes Marcos’ survey numbers continue to be consistently high because of disgust with Robredo’s double talk when she earlier said that she is not running for president.
“At least 50 percent, more than 50 percent of Filipinos are still Marcos loyalists? I don’t believe so. Baka nga tama yung sinasabi nila na yung negative attitude towards the Vice President doon napupunta because yung psyche ng Pilipino lagi sa llamado, di ba? (Maybe the negative attitude towards the vice president goes to Marcos because the Filipinos always want the crowd favorite),” Lacson said.
“It’s not about percentages. Ang message ko lang is kung ayaw niyo kay Marcos, mamili kayo sa amin. Huwag kayong ma-confine ng pamimili sa kanilang dalawa (It’s not about percentages. My message is that if you don’t like Marcos, choose among us. If you don’t like Robredo, choose among us. Do not confine your choices between them),” he said.
Lacson said Robredo’s camp should stop pestering him and the other presidential candidates to withdraw as the presidential race is not limited to Robredo and Marcos Jr.
Lacson said this as he, Moreno, Pacquiao, Gonzales, and former palace spokesman Ernesto Abella have reportedly been approached by people asking them to back out of the race in favor of Robredo.
He said the request to withdraw came with a promise to reimburse their campaign expenses.
“Sina-subvert na natin ang will ng electorate maski wala pang halalan. This is an attempt to subvert the will of the electorate even before the election day,” Lacson said in the conference.
Lacson said he was twice approached by men from the Robredo camp, the latest of which was last month when they were in a campaign sortie in Pampanga, reiterating his disclosure last week that former Quezon City Mayor Brigido “Jun” Simon asked him to withdraw and vowed to ask Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Robredo’s running mate, to also back out of the race, to pave the way for a Robredo-Sotto tandem.
Simon has denied being sent by anyone. Robredo’s camp also said Simon was not authorized to speak on its behalf.
Lacson also hit the camp of Robredo for stripping them of supporters just to force them to withdraw.
“They are trying to strip us of supporters, and support groups, kami ni Isko. Nili-limit na lang choices sa dalawa, naka-kahon na lang, pero hindi lang naman dalawa ang pagpipilian (They are trying to strip us of supporters, me and Moreno. They are trying to limit the choices to two, but the choices are not limited to two),” he said.
Lacson was referring to the withdrawal of support for him by the Partido Reporma and the shift of IM Pilipinas from Moreno to Robredo.
He said no amount of stripping of support will make them back out of the race.
“Yan ang essence ng paglabas naming ngayong umaga at warning na rin na huwag kay mag-subvert ng will of the electorate (That is the essence of our press conference – and warning against those concerned against subverting the will of the electorate because we’ll stand up as one),” he said.
CROWD COUNT, DESTAB
Lacson also hit Robredo’s camp for allegedly spreading fake news when it comes to the number of people attending her campaign rallies. He said that in one instance, he found the venue used by the vice president in her campaign sortie can accommodate only 2,000 people but her camp said there were more than 35,000 who attended.
He said if the people want a stable government, they should choose among them and not vote for Marcos or Robredo, since a win by Marcos, who is the consistent leader in surveys, will mean a continued destabilization of the government since the camp of Robredo will not accept defeat.
“We also don’t want Marcos to win kasi may continuing destabilization kasi hindi papayag ang kabila (because there will be a continuing destabilization because the other camp will not accept it). We want to unite the people na hindi tumitingin sa kulay, there are other options. That is the core message. This not all about against Leni or BBM, but to offer other options.” Lacson said.
“My message is clear — we are offering ourselves. We don’t want Marcos to win because of destabilization, guguluhin yan, and for the sake of the country, dapat mamili sila ng iba not either one of the two (My message is clear — we are offering ourselves. We don’t want Marcos to win because of destabilization. And for the sake of the country, they should choose among the other candidates, not either one of the two (Marcos and Robredo),” he added.
Presidential candidate and former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales said he too was approached by people supposedly coming from Robredo’s camp to convince him to withdraw.
In a chance interview after the press conference, Lacson clarified he attended the press conference not to call for the withdrawal of Robredo as what Moreno did.
He said the call made by Moreno was personal.
“Sa amin wala dapat mag-withdraw. In the same manner na walang magwi-withdraw sa amin, hindi kami dapat manawagan para mag-withdraw ang sinumang kandidato. Personal decision yan (No one among us should withdraw. In the same manner that no one should withdraw among us, we should not call for the withdrawal of any candidate. It should be a personal decision),” he added.
Lacson said the people should not believe confusing posts peddled on social media sites that he and the other presidential candidates will get out of the race in favor of Robredo.
‘DELAYED FLIGHT’
Pacquiao’s name was mentioned in a press statement released by the Lacson camp as among five male presidential wannabes who will make a joint announcement.
While Moreno read Pacquiao’s name as a signatory to the categorical declaration that none of them is withdrawing from the campaign, the copy released to the media showed the retired boxing icon did not sign the statement.
Up until 1:01 p.m., Pacquiao’s camp of assured reporters he has every intention of joining three of his opponents at the press conference.
His media handlers said his flight from General Santos City was delayed but he will proceed to the hotel event as soon as his plane landed, adding that Pacquiao has no plans of withdrawing his candidacy.
An earlier advisory from his media staff, however, denied the senator has given any instructions to prepare for his appearance at the said press conference.
HALU-HALO
Labor sector presidential candidate Leody “Ka Leody” de Guzman and his running mate, former Rep. Walden Bello poked fun at Lacson, Domagoso, and Gonzales for calling the press conference only to declare that they are not backing out of the race.
“Di kami aatras … sa halo-halo (a chilled dessert). (We are not walking away … from halu-halo),” Bello posted on Twitter.
De Guzman posted his own joke saying he enjoyed halu-halo in South Cotabato which is way cheaper than the one served at the Manila Peninsula where some of his opponents are causing a commotion.
In a press statement, he said he visited indigenous tribes of T’Boli in South Cotabato to hear their grievances against the government.
“Ang mga maniobrahan ng mga tradisyunal na elitistang politiko ay nakabatay sa self-interest at walang katuturan sa pang-araw araw na problema ng masa. Hindi ako interesado sa mga ganitong laro (The maneuvering of traditional politicians are based solely on their self-interests which are irrelevant to the daily challenges confronting the Filipino masses. I have no interest in those games,” he said.
Gonzales said in his talks with people, many are not really Marcos loyalists but are choosing him because of their dislike for Robredo, a point also raised by Moreno and Lacson.
Gonzales said the electorate should be given the chance to choose who they want as next president, instead of making it appear that the fight for Malacañang is only between two candidates — Robredo and Marcos.
He said there is still enough time for the electorate to look at the other candidates,
Also running for president are former President Duterte’s spokesperson Ernesto Abella, Faisal Mangondato, and Jose Montemayor Jr.
Gonzales echoed Moreno’s claim that Robredo might not be the best candidate to beat Marcos Jr.
He said other presidential candidates can catch up with Marcos’ survey ratings if the people choose among the other bets.
“Ayaw ng taumbayan na itong number 2 ang lumaban sa ating number 1 sa laban. Palagay ko mas mabuti, kung ako ang tatanungin niyo, siguro isantabi natin ang number 2 at tignan natin ang number 3, 4, 5, 6 baka nandoon ang puwedeng lumaban sa number 1 na hinahanap ng taumbayan (The people do not want this number 2 [Robredo] to be pitted against the number 1 [Marcos Jr.]. For me, I think it is best if we set aside number 2 and look at numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6 who might be more qualified to be pitted against number 1),” Gonzales said.
He also said the people should be on the lookout for cheating in the elections, since the people’s minds are conditioned that the winner will be either Marcos or Robredo.
“Inihahanda na ang sambayanan para hindi kuwestyunin kung ano ang resulta kahit may daya (The peoples’ minds are conditioned so that they will not question the results of the elections even if there will be cheating),” Gonzales said.
Moreno said they have evidence to prove that survey results are “polluted” although, he added, they are still verifying it.
Earlier, Aksyon Demokratiko chairperson Ernest Ramel said Moreno has a chance to bag the presidency considering he is the top alternative for the highest post in the land.
Ramel cited an April 4-6 poll result of market research firm Tangere which he said showed the Manila mayor as the next preferred presidential candidate with 24. 2 percent, after top placer Marcos Jr. (48 percent) while Robredo had only 21 percent. — With Reuters
