Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he was giving supporters of his election rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, a "taste of their own medicine" when he called on her to withdraw her candidacy for president.
Moreno claimed Robredo's supporters "bullied" him when they called for his withdrawal from the May 9 elections. He repeated his "Withdraw Leni" call during a campaign stop in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday.
"It's high time na matikman din nila 'yung lasa ng sarili nilang gamot... Walang mali doon, na sabihin ko rin 'yung opinyon ko," Moreno told reporters in in Alegria village, a video of which was posted on his campaign page.
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"Uulitin ko ulit: Withdraw, Leni. Don't be a bully. Opinyon ko yun," he said. "I will not let go, bully kayo and it has to stop," said Moreno, who scored an 8% voter preference in Pulse Asia's March 17 to 21 poll compared to Robredo's 24% and frontrunner Bongbong Marcos' 54%.
Moreno asked Robredo to withdraw during an Easter Sunday press conference with fellow candidates Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former defense chief Norberto Gonzales.
Asked if he would apologize to Robredo, like Gonzales, Moreno said: "Hindi ako humihingi ng pasensiya sa isang bagay na ginawa ko na makatwiran. Hiningi nyo sa amin ang withdrawal, hihingiin din namin sa inyo ang withdrawal. Fair lang yun," he said.
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