Presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said he sees no backlash from the joint press conference he attended with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and former defense Sec. Norberto Gonzales over the weekend.
The 73-year-old senator brushed off criticisms that he and the two other presidential candidates ganged up on Vice President Leni Robredo during their briefing at the Manila Peninsula Hotel on Easter Sunday.
During the said event, Moreno urged Robredo to withdraw her presidential candidacy, while Lacson claimed the vice president only worked for a so-called unification for her own political benefit.
"Hindi siya pinagtulungan kasi malinaw naman yung direksyon ng mga aming presscon to at least preempt or thwart yung attempts na mag-disinformation na merong magwi-withdraw sa amin," Lacson told reporters in a press conference in Capiz.
"All of us, ganun ang ginagawa, tapos isa-isang kinakausap hindi lang mag-withdraw kundi mag-campaign pa. So I don't think there's a backlash.... Wala akong nakikitang backlash," he added.
If at all, what the press conference accomplished was to penetrate the "echo chambers" of Robredo and survey frontrunner Bongbong Marcos, Lacson said.
"Those who are hitting us, alam naman natin most of them are trolls. Sanay na ako sa Twitter kasi ako nagma-manage ng Twitter account ko and I can easily tell a troll when I see one. So napakalinaw naman na yung mga nagba-bash, paulit-ulit, pare-pareho ang message, hindi na ako napipikon," he added.
Lacson said he was not calling for Robredo to withdraw, saying that he "never had an idea" during the press conference that Moreno would make such a call.
"I detest yung call for withdrawal. Ginawa sa akin yan ni Cong. [Lito] Atienza. So if I detest any call for withdrawal, why would I do that? Kung ano yung masama sayo sa tingin mo, huwag mong gagawin sa kapwa tao mo," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Gonzales, who was in the same press conference, apologized to Robredo over how the event turned out, but Lacson said he had nothing to say sorry for.
"I have nothing to apologize for because I did not join the call for VP Leni to withdraw. Sinabi ko lang yung facts, what transpired, bakit nag-fail yung unification talks as early as the filing. Wala naman akong dinagdag, wala akong in-embellish doon," he added.
For now, Lacson said he and running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III will just focus on their campaign and won't get distracted by "troll activities."
"Sabi nga may backlash which we don't believe. I also asked by campaign team kung may backlash, sabi nila none. Wala silang nakikita, wala silang nararamdaman. Even Mayor Isko sabi niya, paano magkakaroon ng backlash e puro echo chamber lang naman ng particular candidate yung namba-bash," he said.
"Sa akin, medyo obvious yun kasi ako nakakatanggap ako ng mga tweets na ganun. Obviously galing sa isang kampo lang," he added.
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