At joint presser, bets make pitch for 'new No.2' vs frontrunner Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — Former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales on Sunday floated the idea of picking a "new Number 2", referring to Vice President Leni Robredo, who has been trailing presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in pre-election surveys.
Gonzales made the pitch at a joint press conference with Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, where other presidential candidates later discrediting the accuracy of surveys, claiming that they have evidence that these are "polluted."
Gonzales, also a former national security adviser, claimed that the public wants a different contender to challenge Marcos as he pointed at his wide lead against Robredo.
"Kaya palagay ko mas mabuti siguro dapat isantabi natin yung Number Two at tingnan natin ‘yung three, four, five, six. Baka nandoon ang puwedeng lumaban sa Number 1 na hinahanap ng taumbayan natin… parang ayaw nila ‘yung Number Two ngayon na siyang lumaban sa Number One," Gonzales said.
(I think it’s better if we could put aside number two and look at options three, four, five, six. Maybe the right candidate our people are looking for to go against number one would be among those… because it seems like they don’t want the current number two to challenge number one.)
"Change player kung kailangan (if necessary)," he said.
Candidates Lacson and Moreno pushed the same point at the press conference, with both saying that voters may be inclined to vote for Marcos out of dislike or distrust of Robredo and the Liberal Party of which she is chair. Moreno again raised the inaccurate argument that politics in the Philippines since the 1986 People Power Revolution has been centered on the Marcoses and the Aquinos.
Continuing the theme of using basketball terms, Moreno later urged Robredo: "Pa-sub ka naman (Let someone else play)."
Gonzales later said that attacking frontrunner Marcos will only benefit Robredo, which was why taking aim at her made more sense.
The latest survey by Pulse Asia Research showed that Marcos is still the top choice in the presidential race by a wide lead of 56% against Vice President Leni Robredo’s 24%.
READ: Marcos maintains lead as Robredo rises in March Pulse Asia survey
In the same survey, Moreno ranked third with eight percent, Sen. Manny Pacquiao was at fourth place with six percent, Sen. Lacson at fifth with two percent.
Gonzales ranked last out of the ten presidential candidates.
Promise to serve
Gonzales later suggested that presidential rival Lacson had promised him a Cabinet position should Lacson win the country’s top post.
He also told the audience in jest that he will be speaking with another presidential aspirant, Moreno, on the possibility of getting a position in his Cabinet should the Manila mayor win.
Four presidential bets called a press conference at five-star hotel Peninsula Manila in Makati on Easter Sunday to tell the public that none of them will be backing out from the race despite lagging in pre-election polls.
Gonzales, Lacson, Moreno, and Pacquiao in a joint statement promised the Filipino people that they will be “offering services” no matter the result of the upcoming elections. The candidates also promised that they will be finishing their campaigns.
Only Gonzales, Moreno, and Lacson, along with vice-presidential candidates Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and Dr. Willie Ong, made it to the briefing at the hotel on Sunday.
"Hopefully after this press conference, more Filipinos will be enlightened that there are a lot of choices, not just two," Lacson said.
Asked to withdraw
Lacson, Moreno, and Gonzales claimed that they were approached multiple times by people allegedly from Robredo’s camp to withdraw their candidacies in support of hers.
However, some of these claims have already been denied by Robredo’s representatives last week.
READ: 'Out of the question,' Lacson says of common candidate after joint briefing with Moreno, Gonzales
“They’re trying to strip us of our supporters, ‘yung mga support groups. Ang nangyari sakin ‘yung Reporma na-hijack and yung kay Mayor Isko, ‘yung Ikaw Muna sa Cebu, ganoon din. Marami talagang attempts and parang nili-limit talaga ‘yung choices sa dalawa,” Lacson said.
(They’re trying to strip us of our supporters, our support groups. What happened to me was Reporma was hijacked and it was the same story for Mayor Isko’s Ikaw Muna in Cebu. There were really a lot of attempts and it seems like they are limiting the choices to two.)
Last month, Lacson resigned from Partido Reporma to run as an independent candidate. Partido Reporma's President and Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao Del Norte) later backed the candidacy of Robredo.
READ: Losing Partido Reporma endorsement seen to weaken Lacson's presidential bid
Moreno, without presenting evidence, claimed that their supporters were being bought. His supporters in Cebu also shifted gears and began supporting Robredo, but he also said he is unaffected by the defection of volunteer groups.
Both Lacson and Moreno also claimed that they were personally approached by Robredo to "unite under one candidate" and back her bid for the top post.
"If you are not a good player to win, then you pay the supreme sacrifice, you withdraw," Moreno said on Sunday. "The same challenge they're giving us... now we're calling [on her]. Be a hero. Withdraw, Leni."
Lacson said that was not a call made by the group and was Moreno's alone.
Robredo campaign: Why the bluster and falsehood?
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, Robredo spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said that "from the start, it has been the prerogative of every candidate to continue till the end, the same as it is the choice of a candidate to disregard surveys, rally attendance, endorsements, or any other conventional measure of support. "
"We wish every candidate who decides to push through to the end, only the best," he also said.
"But in making these choices (to continue the campaign), should we not ask ourselves: Must this assertion be made through bluster and falsehood? Who benefits from such theatrics? What is best for the Filipino people?"
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