Presidential, VP debates will be face-to-face听鈥斕鼵omelec听
DEBATES among candidates for the country鈥檚 top two positions in next year鈥檚 elections will be in person, an official of the听Commission on Elections (Comelec)听said on Thursday.听
“It will be face-to-face among candidates. Yesterday there was a lot of talk about it being online and people were concerned that online meant the candidates will be virtual as well. They wouldn’t be,”听Comelec Spokesperson听James听B.听Jimenez听told CNN Philippines’听The Source.听听
He said the candidates for president and vice president will be physically facing off while the audience will be participating virtually.听听
Mr. Jimenez said Comelec is looking at having three separate debates for both positions.听
Senators, including those running for either of the top positions, have expressed preference for debating in person.听听听
鈥淚t is different when the candidates are physically engaged, especially in a debate that the Filipinos are awaiting to determine in full who they will vote to lead the country听鈥 including the demeanor and action of every presidential candidate,鈥澨齋enator Panfilo M. Lacson, who is running for听president, said in a statement Thursday.听
He added that based on their experience听in听Senate hearings and sessions, virtual platforms听pose limitations听such as听technical problems.听
Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon,听a veteran politician and public official who plans to retire in 2022, said a virtual debate would not fully show the candidates鈥櫶齡enuine ability.听听听
鈥淭he possibility of coaching will diminish the credibility of the debates as a test of the candidates’ competence to lead the country for the next听six听years,鈥澨齢e said in a statement Thursday.听鈥淭hat is why my preference is a face-to-face debate.鈥澨听
鈥淚t can be done, with the appropriate safety protocols on COVID-19 being observed,鈥 he added.听
Senator Francis 鈥淜iko鈥 N. Pangilinan, who is running for vice president,听also said measures could be put in place to ensure health protocols are observed at the debate venue.听听听
SUBSTITUTION
In another election concern, Mr. Jimenez said banning substitution听for political candidates who withdraw would not be ideal as it remains a听necessary听remedy for听political听parties.听听
He said听taking away the right of a political party to substitute due to a voluntary withdrawal would听鈥渉old the party hostage to the whim of the (withdrawn) candidate.鈥澨
鈥淚f a candidate files a CoC听(certificate of candidacy)听under pretense of good faith and then later says,听鈥業 don鈥檛听want听to run anymore鈥, you are going to leave the political party high and dry,鈥澨齢e said in听the same interview.听听
Substitution allows a political party to replace a member who filed a certificate of candidacy with another member.听听听
Filing ended on Oct. 8听while听substitution is allowed until Nov. 15.听
Lawmakers from听both听the Senate and the House of Representatives have filed bills seeking to ban voluntary substitution.听听
Mr. Jimenez added that statements made by political candidates or parties that they are placeholders cannot be verified as they are not under oath.听
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not as trustworthy as if they were said under oath under an appropriate body and under a hearing,鈥澨齢e said.听
On campaigning, Mr. Jimenez said听Comelec听will be allowing physical听events听but听there will be guidelines on听the number of people allowed based on the alert levels set in a particular area.听听
鈥淲e are going to systematize that so that we have rules all over the country that would define how many people can be in an in-person campaigning… at any given place,鈥澨齢e said.听鈥斕鼳lyssa Nicole O. Tan听and听Russell Louis C. Ku听听
