Four of the Philippines’ presidential candidates on Saturday laid down plans to tackle the country’s biggest issues in an interview with the nation’s leading broadcaster, but notable was the absence of early frontrunner Philippine Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos, a clear favorite for the May 9 presidential election, declined to participate, saying that the host was biased against him, a charge GMA Network Inc denied.
The prerecorded interviews, which ran for three hours, set social media ablaze.
Photo: Reuters
There was some harsh criticism of Marcos, with thousands on Twitter using the hashtag marcosduwag (or “marcoscoward”), while praising other candidates and the host.
Marcos said that he would communicate his message through other shows, platforms and forums.
Analysts credit Marcos’ robust social media presence for his popularity in the polls, but some have suggested that it might not be enough.
Photo: Reuters
“Should the Marcos camp continue to shun these kinds of nationwide events, it is possible, if not highly probable, that ... the second-preferred candidates can pick up some numbers,” said Richard Heydarian, an author, columnist and academic who specializes in politics.
Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao, a retired boxing champion; opposition candidate and Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso; and Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former police chief, presented their plans for a post-pandemic economic recovery through job creation, better healthcare and fighting corruption.
“What we need is a clean government, without corruption, and with plans to give jobs and housing,” Pacquiao said.
The Philippines, a country of more than 110 million people, is to select a successor to President Rodrigo Duterte, who is not eligible for re-election, in May.
All of the candidates tried to differentiate their policies from those of Duterte, from handling the narcotics problem to tackling a maritime dispute with Beijing.
All four said that they would not support the reimposition of the death penalty or the legalization of same-sex marriage, but they were divided on divorce — a touchy issue in Asia’s most Catholic country.
In the Philippines, personality politics dominates platforms.
Twitter has suspended hundreds of accounts that were promoting Marcos, citing contraventions of rules on spam and manipulation.
The interviews with GMA’s Jessica Soho showed that the four presidential aspirants have varying strategies on resolving disputes in the South China Sea, including through building alliances with other nations and boosting military presence in the region.
“Our court victory should be our leverage,” Robredo said.
She said a coalition of nations could be formed against China’s militarization of the disputed sea, banking on the 2016 ruling of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, which rejected China’s “nine-dash line” claims.
Lacson said the country should strengthen alliances with the US, the EU, Japan, Australia and other countries with powerful militaries.
Pacquiao said the Philippines should not allow itself to be bullied by China and sought more discussions on the issue, while Moreno said that the country should bolster its military presence in the South China Sea.
The four presidential candidates said that they are in favor of joint exploration in the South China Sea, with Robredo clarifying that her stance is premised on all parties’ recognition of the arbitral ruling.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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