Presidential candidate Mar Roxas and his running mate Rep. Leni Robredo admitted that they already met with the officials of the powerful Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) church officials on the same day that their rival particularly presidential candidate Grace Poe confirmed having met with a high-ranking minister of the bloc-voting religious sect.
In an interview with the media, Rep. Leni Robredo revealed that she and presidential candidate Mar Roxas met with INC leaders on March 30 but both of them would neither confirm nor deny whether they had been assured of support by the influential religious group in the highly anticipated May 2016 national elections.
When the Vice presidential candidate was asked about what they discussed at the meeting, Rep. Robredo replied “It was just like the usual (meeting). We didn’t talk about the election.” Rep. Leni Robredo said that the meeting occurred just before Mar Roxas went to speak at a forum organized by the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) at a hotel in Makati City.
The Ro-Ro tandem also revealed that only Leni Robredo and Mar Roxas went to the INC, as no one from their campaign team went with them. The meeting between Roxas-Robredo tandem and the INC lasted for “about an hour,” according to the statement released by Rep. Robredo.
The INC officials on their part, INC spokesperson Bro. Edwil Zabala confirmed that a meeting did take place between the Ro-Ro tandem and the INC officials but decline to comment further with the issue.