If it weren't for the so-called "divine intervention," Sen. Manny Pacquiao would be among those presidential candidates drawing flak from the controversial Easter Sunday joint conference.
Initially, Pacquiao was expected to join the press conference on Sunday in Manila Peninsula Hotel along with fellow presidential bets Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales.
However, due to air traffic congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pacquiao's flight from General Santos City was delayed which eventually led him to skip the presser.
"It was divine intervention that prevented Senator Manny Pacquiao from attending the controversial joint press conference of his fellow presidentiables," the statement from his camp said.
In an interview, Pacquiao's campaign manager, Buddy Zamora, said the senator "had every intention" to attend since he gave his word to Lacson.
"He couldn’t make it on time. We were not privy to the invitation. We were on vacation at that time. This happened on Easter Sunday. So the decision of Sen. Pacquiao was made in GenSan and without our prior knowledge," he said.
Zamora said that although Pacquiao shares the same concern of the presidentiables over the repeated calls for withdrawal, he does not agree with Moreno's demand for Vice President Leni Robredo to drop her presidential bid.
"Mr. Pacquiao believes that the choice is up to the people and since everybody filed the candidacy for the presidency, he’d want the choice to be really coming from the people, not because of withdrawal," he said.
