Manila Mayor and presidential aspirant Isko Moreno doubled down on his stance for Vice President Leni Robredo to withdraw from the presidential race even amid the public backlash he had been receiving.
“Ako na ang nagsasabi at pinaninidigan ko lahat ng sinasabi ko, ngayon uulitin ko. Vice President Leni, be a hero, withdraw. Give chance to the other candidates,” he said.
“‘Yun ‘yung akin, so I stand on it, I believe it, and it’s high time na matikman din nila ‘yung lasa ng sarili nilang gamot. So for now, pinaninindigan ko ‘yun,” Moreno added.
On Easter Sunday, Moreno along with fellow survey laggers Norberto Gonzales and Senator Panfilo Lacson held a joint press conference to announce that they are not planning to withdraw their presidential bid.
However, in an ANC interview, Gonzales admitted that he felt “uncomfortable” after Moreno made the call for Robredo to withdraw from the race.
“I’m apologizing to her. Because what we need is something better after the elections, whoever wins,” Gonzales said.
“I am not anti-Robredo…So far, if we will draw from the survey, she has the best chance of really challenging BBM,” he said.
Moreno’s own vice presidential candidate, Dr. Willie Ong, disagreed with the Manila mayor’s call for Vice President Leni Robredo to withdraw from Eleksyon 2022.
“Dapat ba siya mag-withdraw, VP Leni? Siyempre, ako, hindi. Go siya. Sa akin, go kayo lahat. Go kayo lahat. Walang magpipigil,” he said via a video streamed on his Facebook page.
— Ronald Espartinez