CANLUBANG, Laguna—Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo said Friday that her main poll rival, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., owes it to the people to grant debates so that he can clear up all the lies that surround him.
Robredo said it is Marcos Jr.’s responsibility to the people not only to tell them about his platform of government but also to answer all the issues hurled against him.
"Mahirap kung ayaw niyang harapin ito kasi napakarami ng disinformation saka fake news (It would be hard if he does not face all of this because there are already a lot of disinformation and fake news)," Robredo told reporters in an ambush interview after his campaign rally here.
The vice president interjected that Marcos Jr. must be confronted, so his supporters would know "what is the truth."
"Kasi napakarami yung napapapaniwala na mga kasinungalingan (Becasue many believe in lies)," Robredo said.
Robredo on Friday challenged Marcos Jr. to a debate, which the latter immediately rejected through his spokesperson.
She said it would be unfair for other presidential candidates who are presenting themselves in the debates that Marcos Jr., the frontrunner in the surveys, is not granting such an event.
"Sa lahat ng pinatawag ng Comelec (Commission on Elections), sya lang hindi nagpunta (Of all the candidates invited by Comelec, he was the only one who would not attend)," Robredo said.
"Sa kanya, hindi nagkaroon ng ganoong pagkakataon na yung mga issues na kinakaharap nya ay hindi magkaroon ng opportunity yung taong bayan para marinig kung ano talaga yung totoo (We don't get the chance from him to hear what is the truth behind all the issues against him)," she added.