Rappler
Pacquiao on joint Easter press conference: ‘Wala sa usapan manira ng tao’
Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao expressed surprise at the joint press conference held by other presidential aspirants on Easter Sunday, stating that discussions were meant for unity and clean elections.
He was invited to the event but arrived late due to a delayed flight, and expressed that "Our discussions did not include bringing someone down or asking anyone to withdraw."
Pacquiao added that he was expecting all candidates to continue their campaigns and found the calls for withdrawal unexpected.
The press conference, attended by Senators Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, had aimed to reject calls for them to withdraw from the presidential race.
During the event, Mayor Moreno controversially urged Vice President Leni Robredo to withdraw from the candidacy.
Senator Lacson stated he was unaware of Moreno's intention to call for Robredo's withdrawal, while Secretary Gonzales has since apologized to Vice President Robredo.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza claimed Senator Manny Pacquiao's common sense kept him from attending an Easter Sunday press conference with other presidential candidates.
Read more →
The campaign manager of presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao described his absence from a press conference with other candidates as 'divine intervention'.
Read more →
Presidential aspirant Manny Pacquiao, through his campaign manager Buddy Zamora, rejected Manila Mayor Isko Moreno's call for Vice President Leni Robredo to withdraw from the presidential race.
Read more →
Presidential aspirant Manny Pacquiao challenged the notion of a "Solid North" by visiting Ilocos Norte, the political stronghold of the Marcos family.
Read more →
Four presidential candidates, including Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, are scheduled to hold a joint press conference on Easter Sunday, April 17.
Read more →