Three Philippine presidential candidates refuse to back rival to defeat Marcos son

MANILA: Three rivals of Philippine presidential candidate

Leni Robredo

refused to back her campaign on Sunday, dousing speculation they would withdraw from the race to improve her chances of defeating the son of former dictator

Ferdinand Marcos

.

Voter surveys

show

Robredo

is adistant second behind Marcos Jr, but a recent bump in the polls and huge crowds at her rallies have raised hopes among her fervent fans that the campaign is gaining traction. There has been speculation that worse performing candidates were considering pulling out and endorsing Robredo — the incumbent vice president and only woman in the race — to ensure

Marcos Jr

was defeated in the May 9 elections. The latest Pulse

Asia Research

survey showed Robredo on 24% with Marcos Jr on 56%.

But in a vitriolic press conference on Sunday,

Francisco Domagoso

,

Panfilo Lacson

and

Norberto Gonzales

— who are on single digits or less — accused Robredo of trying to get them to withdraw and strip them of support.

Analysts said it was not clear how many votes Robredo would gain from their exit in the raucous democracy where voter decisions were driven by personality rather than ideology. Robredo, who narrowly defeated Marcos Jr in the 2016 vice-presidential race, reluctantly entered the contest following pressure from supporters and opposi- tion groups. Marcos Jr has been boosted by a formidable alliance with first daughter and vice-presidential candidate

Sara Duterte

and a massive misinformation effort on social media.Get all the Latest News, City News, India News, Business News, and Sports News. For Entertainment News, TV News, and Lifestyle Tips visit Etimes.