Otso Diretso asks Comelec to organize debate with Hugpong ng Pagbabago

MANILA, Philippines — For the sake of voter education, opposition candidates yesterday formally asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to initiate a senatorial debate between them and the administration Hugpong ng Pagbabago candidates.

Five of the eight opposition Otso Diretso alliance candidates – Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo party-list), Florin Hilbay, Romulo Macalintal, Samira Gutoc and Erin Tañada – went to the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila to file a formal request for the commission to organize a public debate.

Otso Diretso insisted that the holding of the debate would benefit not only the senatorial aspirants, but mainly the voting public.

“The voting public has the right to know the platform and position of the candidates on various issues,” the opposition candidates said in the letter submitted to the office of Comelec chair Shariff Abas.

Issues that may be discussed during the debate include foreign presence in local waters, the controversial TRAIN law, unsolved murders, corruption and cronyism, massive unemployment as well as the surge in number of Chinese workers.

Macalintal said the Comelec could set the rules governing the debate or have on rules that will be agreed upon by both parties.

“The opposition said they want a third party organizer and not market like debate, so we thought of the Comelec and we are hoping the administration bets will finally accept our challenge,” Macalintal told reporters.

Macalintal noted that candidates cannot explain important issues to the public by just singing and dancing during campaign sorties.

Alejano said they want a debate against HNP candidates because they are the administration candidates and thus should be the ones to explain to the public controversial issues involving the government.

Otos Diretso should even thank reelectionist senators for not stealing the limelight during political debates initiated by giant networks as part of the 2019 midterm elections, reelectionist Sen. Nancy Binay said yesterday.

Binay said the absence of reelectionist senators during debates on national television would give more exposure to first-time and comebacking senatorial candidates, who will get more time and opportunity to tell the voters about their platforms and programs if elected.  With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Ghio Ong, Bebot Sison