OLONGAPO CITY—Former Defense chief Norberto Gonzales’ apology to Vice President Leni Robredo is “unnecessary,” her camp said on Tuesday, April 19.
Robredo's team also dismissed the persistent call of Manila Mayor Francisco 'Isko Moreno' Domagoso for her to back out from the presidential race.
“We appreciate the gesture, but an apology is unnecessary. Sanay na kami sa ganyan (We are used to that). We are adults. Di kami nagpapadala sa emosyon (We don’t get carried away by emotions),” Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez said.
He also shrugged off Moreno’s call for the Vice President to withdraw, asking her to make the “supreme sacrifice” to defeat former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Malinaw ang direksyon ni VP Leni sa ating (VP Leni’s direction is very clear in our) People's Campaign, huwag magpatalo sa emosyon, focus lang sa kampanya (don’t get ruled by emotions, focus on the campaign),” he said, citing Robredo’s earlier Facebook post that called on her supporters to exert their energies on their house-to-house campaign.
“Kung may mga kandidatong naghahanap ng papatol sa kanila, tumingin na lang sila sa iba (If there are candidates who are looking for someone to stoop down to them, just look for others),” Gutierrez added.
READ: Mayor Isko asks VP Leni to withdraw from presidential race and instead — 'come and join us'
With 20 days until Election Day on May 9, the former lawmaker said that the camp is focused on “working double time.”
Gonzales apologized publicly to Robredo after he, Moreno, and Senator Panfilo Lacson held a joint press conference on Easter Sunday to attack the Vice President.
The former Defense secretary during the Arroyo administration claimed that he didn’t know Moreno was going to ask Robredo to withdraw from the presidential race.
He added that the original purpose of the joint press conference was to unite the male survey laggards and commit to working with the new administration, regardless of who wins in May.
Moreno, on the other hand, renewed his call for Robredo to withdraw from the race and asked her camp to stop “bullying” him.