MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday shrugged off the calls of her rival Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso for her to withdraw from the presidential race.

At the sidelines of her campaign rally in northern Cebu, Robredo told reporters that she does not want to reply to Domagoso’s pronouncements, as the elections was not only about the two of them.

LOOK: Supporters of VP Leni Robredo, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and their senatorial candidates begin to gather in Bogo City as the Team Leni Kiko campaigns in Northern Cebu. pic.twitter.com/C8rSfqbkQf

— Adrian Ayalin (@adrianayalin) April 21, 2022

“Hindi ko siya papatulan. Dahil hindi naman ito simpleng laban lang naming dalawa. 'Yung laban, [laban] ito ng bayan natin, may mas malaking laban na kailangan nating panalunin,” she said.

(I won’t clap back at him, because this is not only a fight between the two of us. This is a fight for our country, and there is a bigger battle that we need to win.)

Robredo said she would rather not spend time fighting other bets, as the elections is “more than all of us combined.”

• Robredo after rivals' remarks: No more hurtful words, focus on campaign

“Extraordinary ang eleksyon na ito. Hindi lang ito contest ng mga kandidato, pero ito 'yong magde-determine kung anong klaseng pamamahala at pulitika ang mananaig sa bayan natin in the next 6 years… and hinihikayat natin ang lahat na samahan tayo sa laban na ito,” the vice-president added.

(This is an extraordinary election. This is not only a contest between candidates, but this will also determine what kind of governance and politics will prevail in our country in the next six years. We are encouraging everyone to join us in this fight.)

In a press conference on Easter Sunday, Domagoso and two other candidates accused Robredo's camp of trying to get them to withdraw. The Manila mayor later asked the Vice President to back out of the race "because whatever you're doing is not effective" against Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

A Pulse Asia survey in March showed Robredo was a distant second behind Marcos, but a recent bump in the polls and huge crowds at her rallies have raised hopes among her fans that the campaign is gaining traction.

The Robredo camp has denied Domagoso’s allegation.

• Robredo camp says not asking other candidates to withdraw

Domagoso has since defended and sustained his withdrawal call, from which fellow presidential candidates Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao have kept their distance.

• Isko defends 'honest' call for Robredo to withdraw from presidential race
• Isko says flak he got over #WithdrawLeni call is ‘social injustice’

Another presidential candidate, former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales, apologized to Robredo for the withdrawal call.

Domagoso’s party Aksyon Demokratiko denied observations that the mayor seemed to be “imploding.”

"Candor, frankness, being what you really are is more treasured by the Filipino electorate, especially the poor and marginalized than choosing your words before your audience… I'm not saying it's helping, but I dispute the fact or statement or opinion of some that it is backfiring against him," Domagoso’s chief strategist Lito Banayo said.

• 'He was really hurt': Banayo denies Isko 'imploding' after #WithdrawLeni call

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—with reports from Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse