Sara Duterte wants organized, not 'palengke-style' debates

MANILA, Philippines — Hugpong ng Pagbabago slate campaign manager and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said she prefers a more organized debate where agreements are met between parties over one that is like “palengke-style.”

Duterte made her comment after Hugpong bets snubbed a public debate challenge from Otso Diretso candidates.

The presidential daughter in an ambush interview said that parties should first reach an agreement on terms of debate such as venue, time and rules of debate.

“Hindi pwede yung sasabihin mo na lang, ‘oh, magdebate tayo,’ parang sinabi mo magsuntukan tayo. Parang ganun lang kasi parang bara-bara, parang palengke-style (You can’t just say, ‘oh, let’s have a debate,’ it’s as if you are saying that we should have a fistfight. It was just like that, like something rushed, something that happens in a wet market),” she added.

The video of Duterte's ambush interview was posted by GMA News on Twitter.

“‘If there is a debate, there should be agreements. Just like how professionals do it," she added in a mix of Filipino and English.

On Monday, five out of eight “Otso Diretso” bets, Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo party-list) and lawyers Chel Diokno, Florin Hilbay, Romulo Macalintal and Erin Tañada showed up at Plaza Miranda for the public debate but none of the Hugpong candidates showed up.

Instead, some of the Hugpong bets were at Bulacan in the morning then in Valenzuela in the afternoon for campaign sorties.

Noting the non-appearance of Hugpong candidates, Otso Diretso in a statement raised: “What are they afraid of?”

“They missed the chance to speak to the nation, to explain their platform, and to be forthright about their intentions for seeking a Senate seat," Hilbay added.

Since the opposition bets issued their invite for a debate last week, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago ticket has not issued a statement on whether they would accept or reject the challenge. But Duterte said Hugpong candidates are “willing” to engage in debates, pointing out that some were active in ones set by media outlets. — Kristine Joy Patag