Four presidential candidates announced on Sunday that they are not withdrawing from the presidential race amid unification talks.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno held a press conference in a Makati hotel to insist that they are not heeding the call of another candidate’s unity.
“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,” Moreno said, reading from their joint statement.
RELATED STORY: Ping Lacson urges voters not to vote for incompetents, thieves
“Hinding hindi kami magbibitiw sa kampanya. Ang bawat isa sa amin ay magpapatuloy sa aming mga sariling kandidatura upang maging karapat-dapat na pagpilian ang sambayanan,” Moreno continued.
Lacson said that they have decided to show the people that they are united so that voters will know that they have choices apart from survey frontrunners Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Leni Robredo.
READ ON: First group to urge Isko to run for president shifts to Leni—here’s why
“Parang nili-limit na lang ‘yung choice or choices sa dalawa. Nakakahon na lang and that’s the reason why we have to do this. That among 111 million Filipinos or so, hindi lang dalawa ‘yung pagpipilian. Actually, meron pang ibang tumatakbo,” he said.
“Pare-pareho ang experience namin. Kaming dalawa ni Mayor Isko, actually, bukod pa doon sa kinakausap, gusto pa kaming hubaran. They were trying to strip us of our supporters, ‘yung mga support group,” Lacson added.
