Isko's running mate Willie Ong says Leni should proceed with presidential bid

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno's running mate Dr. Willie Ong said no one among the presidential candidates should back out of Eleksyon 2022.

Ong made the remark after the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer said in a news conference with fellow presidential candidates Panfilo Lacson and Norberto Gonzales that Vice President Leni Robredo should withdraw from the race.

”Kung ako? Syempre hindi. Go siya. Sa akin, go kayo lahat. Go kayo lahat, go. Walang magpipigil,” Ong said when asked if he thought Robredo should drop out of the campaign.

The cardiologist tried to explain the reasoning behind Moreno’s call, saying he and the Manila mayor had been repeatedly asked to back out.

“Pero ako tahimik lang. Siya, siguro, tinitiis lang niya. Eh, ngayon parang sinabi niya dati pinapa-withdraw mo ako. Ngayon ikaw naman ang mag withdraw. Parang gan'on lang,” Ong said.

Ong said that he was only a guest in the press conference held by Moreno, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales on Sunday.

“Unang-una doon sa presscon po, hindi po ako kasama doon. Okay? Hindi po ako kasama. Pero mag a-attend lang ako. Gusto ko lang makinood,” Ong said.

He said he was informed that Senate President Vicente Sotto III would be in attendance, which prompted him to take part as it could seem that Sotto was being endorsed.

Ong called for a verbal ceasefire and urged the presidential candidates to hold a dialogue with each other.

“So for me isa lang ang solusyon, eh. Kaysa mag away-away sila, isang solusyon dapat mag usap sila. Diba? Usap kayo, wag niyo na kami isali, usap kayo sa isang lamesa, diba. Sila, kasama si VP Leni,” Ong said

According to Ong, he and Robredo had the same answers and solutions for the 25 issues presented during the Jessica Soho interviews.

“Hundred percent pareho ‘yung sagot ko doon kay VP Leni. Tapos kay Mayor Isko meron kami apat na kaonti na hindi pareho tapos ‘yung iba dalawa,” Ong said.

“Kay Senator (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.)  wala kasi hindi siya nakasagot doon. Ayun ang sinasabi ko. Wala akong kinakampihan kahit sino,” he added. -NB, GMA News