Atienza no longer withdrawing Eleksyon 2022 vice presidential bid

Published April 11, 2022 01:29 PM By JOVILAND RITA,GMA News

Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza on Monday said he is no longer backing out from the vice presidential race in Eleksyon 2022.

“Definitely not, no withdrawal for me too,” Atienza told reporters in an interview.

Atienza previously said he was seriously considering withdrawing

from the vice presidential race if presidential candidate Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson will abandon his presidential bid.

Senator Manny Pacquiao, another presidential contender in the upcoming elections, earlier said Atienza, his running-mate, was endorsing Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III as his replacement. Sotto is Lacson's running mate.

Lacson, however, rejected Atienza's call and even said he was insulted by it.

The deputy speaker later on apologized, which Lacson accepted.

On Saturday, Lacson invited Pacquiao and Atienza to join his rally in Quezon City and have Sotto as their common vice presidential candidate.

Lacson said he was inviting Atienza to formally announce his withdrawal from the vice presidential race at his supporters rally in Quezon City later that day.

For Atienza however, the suggestion of Lacson will just strengthen the campaign of survey front runner former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“To move with that idea of Ping, there is no movement. We’ll be stuck. It will strengthen Bongbong Marcos, it will not strengthen the opposition,” he said. —KG, GMA News

View on GMA News