The camp of presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Senator Manny Pacquiao's bravery is "misplaced" when he called out those who shun public debates.
Pacquiao, who is also running for the presidency, previously said that those who refuse to join the public debates and subject themselves to full public scrutiny are "obviously not ready to lead the country."
His statement referred to fellow presidential candidate Marcos, Jr., who refused to join the debates that will be led by the Commission on Elections, saying that he is still looking at the format.
In response to Pacquiao's statement, Vic Rodriguez, spokesperson of the Marcos camp, issued a statement calling out the senator's "sudden bravery."
"Sen. Pacquiao's sudden bravery is misplaced. He was given a full six years mandate to showcase his debating prowess but he was too shy to take up those challenges made by some intellectual giants in the Senate," Rodriguez said in a statement.
The Marcos spokesperson likened the bid for the presidency to a job application, where candidates are expected to participate in an intensive interview and not argue with their employer.
"When one is applying for a job, he or she is expected to submit himself to an intensive interview and not debate or be argumentative with the putative employer," he said.
Rodriguez then thanked Pacquiao for "expressing interest" in how the Marcos camp carries out its campaign "while he should just be minding his own."
