5 presidential bets vow to attend 1st debate

MANILA, Philippines - All five presidential candidates in the May elections have committed to attend the first presidential debate to be held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City on Feb. 21, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista said yesterday.

The five are Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (People’s Reform Party), Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan), Sen. Grace Poe (independent) and Manuel Roxas II (Liberal Party).

“This is the first time a presidential debate is being held outside Metro Manila and in Mindanao,” Bautista said.

Bautista said three town forums would be held by organizers to “help crowd-source the questions to make sure that the concerns of the Mindanaoans are asked during the debate.”

The topics include agriculture development, poverty reduction and asset creation and redistribution, Charter change and peace and order.

The initial debate will be led by television network GMA 7 and broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The second presidential debate, to be organized by The STAR, TV5 and BusinessWorld, will be held at the University of the Philippines-Cebu on March 20, while the third debate will be led by ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin and will be held at the University of Pangasinan on April 24.

Presence in the debate is not compulsory but an empty chair will be left for the candidate who will not appear.

Seneres still included

Meanwhile, Bautista said that the name of the late presidential aspirant and OFW Family Club party-list Rep. Roy Seneres will likely remain on the official ballots.

Bautista said the Comelec is still studying the manifestions and motions filed by Seneres’ family and political party, the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka-Workers and Peasants Party.

“The family and the party have contradicting manifestations. Even within the family (there is disagreement). While the family’s lawyer has filed a motion (to exclude his name in the ballots), some family members told me they are still thinking about it,” he said.

The poll chief added that for him, it is best to retain Seneres’ name on the ballots to “honor his memory.”

“I think he has a good legacy and track record. I hope the family and the party will preserve that. We should honor his memory and not use it in politics,” Bautista said. 

‘Reveal state of health’

Sen. Vicente Sotto III urged yesterday all presidential aspirants to be open about the state of their health to determine if they can survive the rigorous 90-day campaign period and eventually, the next six years in office as president.

Sotto said even vice presidential and senatorial candidates should also do the same.

Santiago has said she has beaten lung cancer, but raised a howl when urged to make public her health records late last year.

Duterte, on the other hand, cancelled some campaign sorties this week due to migraine.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is running for vice president, was also confined for a few days last week after a bout with pneumonia.  – With Christina Mendez