Vice President Leni Robredo has challenged her archrival and current survey frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who has been opposed to forums with other bets this campaign season, to a debate.
 
“Inaanyayahan ko si Ginoong Bongbong Marcos na makipagdebate, para mabigyyan ang taumbayan ng pagkakataong maharap siya at amatanong tungkol sa kontrobersiyang pumapalibot sa kanya,” she said Friday.
 
In the same statement, Robredo said she decided to decline the invitation of the Commission on Elections and its partner Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas for a panel interview, the last event in the poll body's PiliPinas Debates 2022 program.
 
She said she would be spending time with volunteers who worked throughout her campaign.
 
Marcos has also declined the invitation for the last event of the Comelec, stating that they will focus on political rallies in the final stretch of the campaign season.
 
But the vice president, who is currently number 2 in the latest surveys, noted that one candidate has yet to face the public in a debate with other candidates.
 
“Mahalaga sana ito para masuri kami ng publiko, at para marinig nila at mapagkumpara ang vision ay pagkatao namin,” she added.
 
She said if Marcos agreed to her challenge to a debate, she would go anytime. "We owe it to the people and to our country," Robredo also said.
 
Meanwhile, the camp of Former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., through Spokesperson Atty Vic Rodriguez, rejected the debate challenge of Vice President Leni Robredo, saying that UniTeam focuses on positive campaigning. 
 
“Positibong pangangampanya at walang paninira ang gabay ng UniTeam ni Bongbong Marcos. At derecho sa taumbayan ang mga mensahe nito at ang panawagan ng pagkakisa. Pawang mga negatibo, panlilinlang at paninira naman ang sa kampo ng dilawan,” said Rodriguez. 
 
“Sa panahon ng krisis sa ekonomiya na dulot ng pandemya ay malaking ginhawa marahil sa naghihirap na mamamayan ang makitang kalmado lang na nangangampanya at hindi nag-aaway at nagsisiraan ang mga taong naghahangad na mamuno sa bansa,” he added.