The camp of presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday also distanced itself from Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso's call for Vice President Leni Robredo to back out of the presidential race.
Buddy Zamora, Pacquiao's campaign manager, said the lawmaker also does not support Domagoso's appeal as "Pacquiao believes that the choice is up to the people."
Pacquiao camp's clarification came after other presidential aspirants Senator Ping Lacson and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales also said they reject what Domagoso did during the Easter joint press conference at a hotel in Makati.
However, Zamora bared that Pacquiao "had every intention of joining the presser because he promised," but he was not able to attend due to delay in his arrival time from General Santos City to Manila.
This was contrary to what Pacquiao's partner, vice presidential aspirant Lito Atienza, said on Monday that Pacquiao "never intended to attend" such a presser.
Zamora clarified that Pacquiao did not inform his team about his supposed attendance in the event.
"I was relieved," Zamora said in an interview with ANC when asked how he felt about Pacquiao's absence.
"So I think the choice was, we call it divine intervention, that he was not able to make it. He was actually in the air circling around waiting for the instructions to land, but unfortunately he was able to land just before 2 pm and that the presser had already finished," he added.