The former dictator’s son continues to no-show in major presidential interviews but commits attendance to the one organized by one of his major endorsers, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
In an unsurprising turn of events, former senator and presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos skips yet another major presidential forum on television. The former dictator’s son’s camp confirmed its non-attendance to the CNN Philippines-hosted Presidential Debate, scheduled to air on February 27. Nine presidential candidates, including Senator Manny Pacquiao, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and Vice President Leni Robredo, have already confirmed their participation.
Marcos drew flak when he refused to participate in GMA Network’s The Jessica Soho Presidential Interview on January 22, citing Soho’s alleged bias against the Marcoses as their reason. The interview went viral and was concurrently seen by more than 250,000 live viewers on YouTube. It also posted a 16.2% AGB Nielsen NUTAM ratings.
For the second time, Marcos skipped yet another GMA Network-organized interview; this time it’s DZBB’s interview, which was the ex-senator’s camp originally confirmed to attend, but skipped it at the last minute. His camp cited ‘internet connection’ woes as the reason for his non-attendance. Due to alleged ‘conflict of schedule’.Marcos turned down the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster sa Pilipinas on February 4, 2022. Vic Rodriguez, his campaign spokesperson, announced Marcos’ absence a day before, citing a prior commitment as the reason. On the day of the interview, Marcos was seen guesting Korina Sanchez’s magazine show, where he performed how to cook ‘pinakbet’, and later on answered presidential questions the journalist prepared.
It should be noted, however, that Sanchez clarified that it was Marcos who chose the schedule of the interview, which prompted netizens to speculate that Marcos’s camp deliberately picked the date of his Sanchez guesting to evade the KBP Forum. KBP is said to have sent the invitation a month earlier, long before Marcos said yes to Sanchez.
Yet again, and no longer surprising, the presidential aspirant has announced its non-appearance in the upcoming CNN Philippines-hosted Presidential Debates, citing schedule conflict as the reason. The said debate is scheduled to happen live on February 27, 2022. Interestingly, Marcos attended a similar debate organized by the network, but he ended up being the main subject of viral memes online.
That being said, Marcos has responded to invitations from a few media organizations for an interview, including the one paneled by DZRH and the one hosted by seasoned talk show host, Boy Abunda. Likewise, Marcos will grace Sonshine Media Network International’s Presidential Debate on February 15, 2022. He is set to face civic leader, unionist, and fellow presidential aspirant, Leody de Guzman, who has been relentlessly expressing his opposition to the Marcoses.
The other four major contenders, Robredo, Lacson, Moreno, and Pacquiao, have declined to attend the forum, citing conflict of schedule and Quiboloy as reasons. It can be recalled that SMNI’s owner, Pastor Quiboloy, has been on FBI’s Most Wanted List, for human, labor, and sex trafficking activities. Quiboloy has also openly declared Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte as his presidential and vice-presidential bets.
