GMA turns down Comelec-PPCRV debate as FPJ backs out

President Arroyo is again not participating in the second presidential debate because her main rival in the May race, opposition front-runner Fernando Poe Jr., is again not showing up.

The April 13 debate is organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

Only Raul Roco and Eddie Villanueva showed up in the first debate last month. Sen. Panfilo Lacson didn’t participate because his arch-nemesis, Mrs. Arroyo, wasn’t there.

Poe’s representative, Rodolfo Reyes, told a meeting of the Comelec and the PPCRV yesterday that the actor-turned-politician has again begged off. The reason was not immediately known.

That later prompted Mrs. Arroyo not to attend as well. Lacson’s camp said he also will not go because the President will not be there, leaving Roco and Villanueva to face each other again.

"President Gloria Arroyo is disappointed that her main challenger does not want to attend the PPCRV-Comelec debate. A debate without him is meaningless," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a letter to the PPCRV. "This election is about issues and how each candidate will bring about specific changes to improve the lives of the average Filipino,"he said.

Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo "believes the people deserve to hear about the specifics of her program of government and debates are central to bringing these specifics to the people so that they can judge for themselves the power of each candidates’ agenda."

Poe’s absence would make the upcoming debate meaningless because voters would not be able to see how the viewpoints of the May polls’ top two contenders differ, Bunye said.

In the meantime, Mrs. Arroyo will continue presenting her program of government directly to voters, Bunye added.

PPCRV chairman Henrietta de Villa said they hope Poe will reconsider.

Poe, a high school dropout, is favored to win the May 10 presidential race because of his iconic movie star popularity despite his lack of public office experience.

Despite his very public persona as an actor, Poe is a man of few words. Even in his films he usually let his fists do the talking.

His rivals have been pressuring him to participate in a televised debate meant to thresh out each other’s programs of government but he has demurred.

It was believed that doubts on Poe’s ability to run the country eroded his lead in voter surveys and enabled Mrs. Arroyo to overtake Roco, locking her in a dead heat with the actor-turned-politician.

Reyes said "there are other venues for talking of issues and articulating" Poe’s program of government. "We do not think it is a loss for him. He thinks debates are divisive, not really constructive. And, personally, I think the skills of the president are not determined by being a good debater."

Roco said Mrs. Arroyo, Poe and Lacson’s decision not to show up is "turning the election into a farce."

"This is unfair to the public," he said in a statement. "All candidates have the responsibility to face the electorate to discuss their platform of governance. This is not just some media event for them to exploit nor is it a chance to put down their opponents. This is a duty."

Changing the name of the event might make Mrs. Arroyo, Lacson and Poe change their minds, Roco said. "Maybe we should call it a discussion or forum. They may be afraid of the term debate."

Critics charge Poe is avoiding a debate to hide his shortcomings.

The political novice has tried to brush aside such challenges, saying "debates divide the people. And they are just talk. They don’t really do anything to help the masses."

The debate was organized to enable candidates to explain their programs of government in detail, to contest their rivals’ viewpoints, and be scrutinized by the nation so voters can make intelligent choices come May.

The first debate, held March 22, failed to generate sparks because Roco and Villanueva found no issue to clash over. Instead, their viewpoints and programs of government dovetailed.

Roco and Villanueva agreed that the nation’s population growth rate should be slowed down and that couples be given the option to use contraceptives.

They also agreed the government should give more emphasis on providing education and drastically curb corruption in government.

The only sparks came from Roco, who criticized Mrs. Arroyo, Poe and Lacson for skipping the event.

"It is important for the candidate to communicate with the people. If you are sincere, why get afraid to face the people? Those who are not here should be forgotten," he said in his opening statement.

The nationally televised debate was organized by the Committee on Population and Development, Philippine Legislators, Philippine Political Science Association and respected pollster Pulse Asia Inc.