I had fun in VP debate—BBM

Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. bared that he had fun in the vice presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on April 10 and that despite the mudslinging, he would never hold a grudge against any of his rivals.

Mr. Marcos made the statement in a press conference in Jaro, Iloilo as he shrugged off the hardline tirades leveled against him saying it was just a “standard political strategy” of candidates who are trying to catch up with a frontrunner.

“Alam mo that is a standard political strategy, pagka gusto mong gumanda ang numbers mo e you attack the one who is leading. So ganyan naman talaga. Expected ko naman yan e kayat hindi ako nagugulat. So I hope that we can raise the level of discussion higher than what it was and bring it to the programs and the projects that we plan to do in the next administration,” he suggested.

Despite the outbursts, he still enjoyed the debate.

“Masaya, masaya yung debate kagabi. Okay naman, masaya dahil masaya yung sagutan. Pero I think, more importantly, kesa sa yung mga deba-debate na directed sa isang kandidato, I think more importantly, para sa akin, at least kahit papano meron tayong nasabi na ating mga programa na ating mga binabalak kapag tayo’y bigyan ng pagkakaton na magsilbi,” he stressed.

He said he does not take the attacks against him personally and will not hold a grudge against any of them.

“Wala naman akong sama ng loob sa kanya pero biglang nagkaroon siya ng maraming sama ng loob sa akin na hindi naman niya sinasabi sa anim na taon kaming magkapartido, sa anim na taon kaming magkasama sa Senado wala naman siyang sinasabi tungkol dyan. I just put it down to politics. I hope that even after the elections e maisantabi na namin yung politika at bumalik kami sa dati naming pagsasama,” he said referring to Sen. Allan Peter S. Cayetano.

Mr. Marcos also pointed out that he still considered the attacks as constructive. “Syempre hindi na matatanggal sa debate yung konting sagutan, at konting ingay—entertainment, ika nga. So that was part of it. I have to say that I think it was constructive,” he said.

He also did not feel he was singled out in the debate and the system put in place was just fair. “I did not feel singled out in any way. Maybe, again, because my numbers are improving in the surveys, maybe it’s to be expected na syempre the attention will be directed to me. Mas mabuti na yun kesa walang pumapansin sa iyo,” he said.