Several presidential aspirants will be facing each other at the presidential forum organized by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) set to air on Friday (Feb. 4) morning.
The KBP said in its press release on Thursday (Feb. 3) that it had invited Leody de Guzman, Sen. Ping Lacson, former Sen. Bongbong Marcos, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and Vice President Leni Robredo.
The KBP said all have accepted their invitation, except for Marcos “due to prior scheduled commitments.”
The event will be moderated by Rico Hizon of CNN Philippines and Karen Davila of ABS-CBN, and will be joined by panelists Bombo Elmar, Roby Alampay, Dan Andrew Cura, and Ed Lingao.
Roundup of activities
In a statement, Marcos Jr’s spokesperson Atty. Vic Rodriguez said the latter’s schedule prevented them from accommodating KBP’s request.
“We look forward to engaging with similar KBP initiatives in the future,” he said.
His running mate, vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte, meanwhile, continues with her Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride which is now on its third day. Her tour is currently in Southern Leyte where many local officials expressed support to their tandem.
Presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman has a say on the non-attendance of Marcos in the forum, suggesting that the former senator’s supporters should rethink their decision.
Moreno, on the other hand, said campaigning is among the last of his priorities as he addresses the situation of the city amid the Omicron threat. He also attended the commemoration of the Battle of Manila anniversary at the University of Santo Tomas.
His running mate Dr. Willie Ong expressed concern on the over 800,000 deaths last 2021, which he said could have been prevented with more accessibility to services.
Vice President Robredo said among the current administration’s projects that she will continue is the Malasakit Center to support those in need of medical assistance.
She said unification is an important basis for justice when asked about her readiness to reconcile with Marcos. Kiko Pangilinan, meanwhile, led the covenant signing with the Alliance of Labor Leaders for Leni (All4Leni).
Meanwhile, Sen. Ping Lacson is open to the idea of transitioning to the endemic phase of COVID-19, which will assist the country’s economic recovery. He reiterated that the move should be science-based and data driven. – With reports from Patrick de Jesus and Daniel Manalastas/AG-rir
