Where was Bongbong Marcos during KBP's presidential forum?
As the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) held its presidential forum with five of the top-post candidates on Feb. 4 morning, aspirant Bongbong Marcos posted an Instagram story where he was attending a different interview.
In a video shared on the former senator's IG account, he is seen sitting down with Korina Sanchez-Roxas for her Upuan ng Katotohanan presidential interviews. The clip was shared around 11:56 AM.
Another IG story from actor/director David Uy Chua, who is working on RatedKorina, posted at around 10 AM, showed Marcos at the shooting location, cooking on the set with Sanchez-Roxas.
Marcos' spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said the former senator's interview with Sanchez-Roxas was "just but one of the many activities we have in the full schedule."
A day before the forum, the Marcos camp said he wouldn't be able to appear alongside rivals due to "conflict of schedule." KBP's forum started around 9 AM and lasted for three hours.
He also said Marcos preferred solo interviews, unlike KBP's forum where five other candidates—Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Ping Lacson, Mayor Isko Moreno, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and labor leader Leody De Guzman—were invited.
"Mas appreciated ng tao ang interview isa-isa. If the program is one hour and there are five guests, tig-iilang minute sila," Rodriguez said. "Can you honestly explain to the Filipino people your stand on West Philippine Sea?"
Sanchez-Roxas also clarified on Instagram that the Marcos camp scheduled the interview.
"When we invited BBM, it was his team who chose the time and date. We had no choice," she wrote.
During the live forum, a panel of journalists asked the candidates questions about issues the country is facing, including online gambling, the drug problem, congestion of jail facilities, the Marcoses ill-gotten wealth, and more.
This wasn't the first interview Marcos had declined to attend. The former senator rejected an invitation to Jessica Soho's presidential interview, calling the veteran journalist "biased" based on his past interactions with her. He was present in presidential interviews with One PH and TV personality Boy Abunda.