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Manila Bulletin

Philippines

Bongbong declines KBP-sponsored presidential forum due to conflict of schedule

Philippines

Bongbong declines KBP-sponsored presidential forum due to conflict of schedule

By Joseph Pedrajas

Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos will not be joining the Feb. 4 presidential candidates forum, which will be aired on various broadcasting outlets, due to conflict in schedule.

This was announced by host association, Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas’ (KBP) President Herman Basbaño in a Teleradyo interview.

"May letter naman sila (They have a letter) declining the invitation, I think that's because of some conflicts sa mga (in their) schedules nila," Basbaño said.

In a statement, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Marcos Jr.'s spokesman said, the presidential bet's camp has "been looking forward for BBM’s participation in this event." However, "his current schedules prevent us from accommodating" the request for his participation.

“We extend our gratitude to the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas for inviting presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to join its forum," Rodriguez said.

"We look forward to engaging with similar KBP initiatives in the future," it added.

This was the second time that the camp of Marcos Jr. declined a broadcasted interview to talk about his candidacy.

In January, Marcos Jr. also refused veteran journalist Jessica Soho’s invitation for the presidential interview allegedly because the award-winning journalist is “biased.”

Biased for him is an "anti-Marcos," the presidential bet said in a later One PH’s interview.

Only Marcos Jr.’s top four leading rivals—Vice President Leni Robredo, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Senator Ping Lacson and Senator Manny Pacquiao—granted KBP’s event. These were the same candidates that participated in Soho’s interview.

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Bongbong Marcos presidential forum kbp

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