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'I'm sorry': Presidential hopeful Gonzales apologizes to Robredo

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo composite of presidential candidates Vice President Leni Robredo and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/04/19/leni-norberto.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo composite of presidential candidates Vice President Leni Robredo and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA (UPDATE) - Presidential hopeful Norberto Gonzales on Tuesday apologized to Vice President Leni Robredo after his statement encouraging the runner-up in the surveys to withdraw. The former defense secretary said he was &quot;uncomfortable&quot; when another aspirant, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, called on Robredo to withdraw from the race following his remark.&quot;If you meet the Vice President, tell her I’m sorry. Yes, I&#x27;m apologizing to her because what we need is something better after the elections,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s Headstart.&quot;I wasn&#x27;t comfortable there. Wala sa usapan...Oh yes, you can say that. And I have said that to friends,&quot; he added when asked whether he was uncomfortable with Domagoso&#x27;s call.Gonzales&#x27; apology is &quot;unnecessary,&quot; according to Robredo&#x27;s spokesman lawyer Barry Gutierrez.&quot;We appreciate the gesture, but an apology is unnecessary. Sanay na kami sa ganyan (We&#x27;re used to it). We are adults. Di kami nagpapadala sa emosyon(We don&#x27;t get carried away by emotions),&quot; he said in statement.&quot;And with 20 days till the elections, we are focused on working doubletime with the People&#x27;s Campaign. Tuloy lang ang pagkilos (The movement continues). Ipapanalo natin ito (Let&#x27;s win this).&quot;The Manila mayor &quot;might have been carried away,&quot; Gonzales said.&quot;There was no agreement whatsoever (to) ask someone to withdraw. Si Mayor Isko medyo natangay siguro sa sentiment. I was actually addressing the public,&quot; he said. &quot;The distance of survey between 1 and 2 is quite big. In a contest like this syempre tinitingnan mo na lang sa contest &#x27;yung 1 and 2...What I&#x27;m trying to point out is the possibilities available to the people.&quot; The aim of the press conference, held Sunday morning at the Manila Peninsula, was to unite the presidentiables, Gonzales said.&quot;This is unprecedented that presidentiables are working together even before campaign ended,&quot; he said.&quot;Dapat kung wala namang dayaan, it&#x27;s time to think of reconciliation, cooperation, we will work together. Malubha ang problema ng bayan. Ako personally I’m open. Gusto ko sana magretire na pero kung makakatulong bakit hindi. I thought our group of 4 or 5 is the beginning.&quot;(If there&#x27;s no cheating, it&#x27;s time to think of reconciliation, cooperation, we will work together. The country&#x27;s problems are severe. Personally, I&#x27;m open. I want to retire but if I can help why not.)Meantime, Gonzales said Robredo was leaving her door &quot;too open&quot; that it becomes &quot;attractive&quot; to &quot;Reds&quot; or communists.&quot;I’m not redtagging, All I’m saying is, all kinds of people will be there kasi binuksan mo ang pinto mo eh (because you opened your door), I don&#x27;t know if they have a screening procedure or not,&quot; he said.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2003758" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Presidential hopeful Norberto Gonzales on Tuesday apologized to Vice President Leni Robredo after his statement encouraging the runner-up in the surveys to withdraw. 