Sotto to attend Comelec panel interviews

MANILA — Vice-presidential candidate Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III confirmed Thursday his attendance to the Comelec-sponsored panel interviews.

At the sidelines of his campaign in the Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela (Camanava) area, Sotto said that he is scheduled for the interview on May 4, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon via Zoom.

Sotto said that he is confident in attending the interview no matter who the Comelec puts in the panel, having endured countless debates in the Senate.

"Alam mo naman tayo, palaban tayo. Kahit sino pa ilagay nila, kapag ikaw graduate ka sa mga debate nina Maceda, nina Guingona, Neptali Gonzales, wala iyang mga debate-debate na ganyan. Sisiw yan," Sotto said, referring to former senators Ernesto Maceda and Teofisto Guingona Jr.

(You know me, I'm a fighter. No matter who they put there, if you've graduated from debates with the likes of Maceda, Guingona, and Neptali Gonzales, these debates and interviews now are a piece of cake.)

His running mate Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, for his part, has yet to confirm whether or not he will be attending the interviews.

"Naghahanap pa rin kami ng ano kasi May 2 to 6 naman daw ang window. Hindi pa final," Lacson told ABS-CBN News.

(We are looking for a schedule since the window is from May 2 to 6. Nothing is final yet.)

Sotto is so far the first vice presidential candidate who is confirmed to attend the panel interviews organized by Comelec and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).

Two presidential candidates have also been confirmed to attend the interviews, but both Comelec and KBP declined to name the bets.

• 'Tuloy pa rin': 2 presidential candidates confirmed for Comelec interview so far

Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will be skipping the interviews to focus on rallies and town hall meetings for the remaining days of the campaign period, his spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso earlier said he would be "happy to join" the panel interviews, but hasn't publicly confirmed his attendance as of posting.

• Bongbong to skip final Comelec presidential interview
• Isko 'happy to join' Comelec presidential interviews if schedule permits

The national and local elections will be held on May 9.

— report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

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