MANILA — Presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Saturday said candidates who continue to avoid media interviews should be castigated, noting they are all considered "job applicants."

"Kung ang isang tao ba nag-apply ng trabaho sa inyo, kailangan niyo talaga ng interviewhin, tanungin, ano'ng programa ang kaya niya," he told reporters.

(If a person is applying for a job, you really need to interview them, ask them what their programs are.)

The boxer-turned-politician said he is not alluding to a single candidate but to all those aspiring for national or local positions.

• Bongbong to skip final Comelec presidential interview
• Pacquiao: Karapatan ni Marcos umayaw sa debate
• Robredo camp says debate dare to Marcos still stands despite refusal

For him, all candidates are obligated to face media questions, especially during the campaign period.

Voters must be "intelligent" enough to understand why some candidates refuse to be interviewed by journalists, Pacquiao said.

"Makikita niyo sa panahon ng pangangampanya palang ang ugali kung mabuti o hindi," he said.

(The campaign period will show you whether or not a candidate has good behavior.)

"Kung maganda ang intensiyon mo, open ka ihayag mo lahat ng plataporma mo, ihayag ang mga plano... Pero kung hindi maganda ang intensiyon mo, siyempre may itatago ka, iiwas ka sa mga tanong," he added.

(If you have good intentions, you will openly state your platforms, your plans... but if you don't have good intentions, of course you have something to hide, you will avoid questions.)

The public, he said, should be alarmed by candidates' refusal to face the media.

• Who's still attending the Comelec-KBP Panel Interviews?
• Isko Moreno to attend Comelec panel interviews if schedule allows it

Meanwhile, Pacquiao assured Filipino workers they would "not be left behind" should he win in the May 9 elections.

He vowed to review existing policies regarding "endo" or "end of contract," adding that he would come up with "better options" for both workers and employers.

• Duterte hopes Congress to 'rectify' vetoed provisions in 'endo' bill: Palace

"Endo" refers to the practice in which some employers end contracts on the fifth month and renew it for 5 months at a time to avoid granting workers regular employee status.

— Report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more News on iWantTFC