Bello scores VP rivals on 'shifting' positions, not showing up
MANILA, Philippines — Former Rep. Walden Bello on Saturday night brought up controversial proposals like a tax on the very wealthy but also used the televised debate to call out other candidates for inconsistent positions and for an alleged lack of an electoral platform.
Bello, who is running for vice president under Laban ng Masa, scored Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for skipping the CNN Philippines vice-presidential debate and said that her and presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s absence from some forums was an insult to voters.
"I think they just spat on the face of the Filipino people telling them that you are not worth my giving you our programs because they have no fucking programs," Bello, who also brought up the two UniTeam candidates as examples of dynastic politics when the topic was brought up earlier in the night, said.
The Marcos campaign has said the former senator is not keen on attending forums where candidates are pitted against each other, and would prefer programs that would give candidates more time to detail their proposed platforms. CNN Philippines, at one point, had to cut off Bello's mic as hosts reminded him that candidates should not attack each other.
The UniTeam candidates have not committed to attending official debates organized by the Commission on Elections, with the Marcos campaign saying it would depend on the candidate's schedule.
READ: 'If schedule permits': Marcos might yet skip Comelec presidential debates
Bello also criticized Senate President Vicente Sotto III for presenting himself as an alternative candidate despite being supportive of the Duterte administration. As Senate president, Sotto has to build consensus in the chamber — a point he raised to underscore his qualification for the vice-presidency — and his declared support for a piece of legislation can help push passage.
"Wag ho tayong mag-rewrite ng history kasi lahat naman ng key [legislation] na itinulak ni President [Rodrigo] Duterte (Let us not rewrite history because if you look at the key legislation that Duterte pushed), who was the biggest backer? It was Mr. Sotto," Bello said as he mentioned the Anti-Terrorism Act and bills to relax restrictions on foreign investors.
Sotto countered that the bills passed by the Senate are meant to benefit the people, defending the ATA by saying "of course, we cannot side with terrorists." The ATA was subject to dozens of petitions at the Supreme Court over fears of potential abuse, although the court ruled to leave it largely intact.
Bello also called Sotto out over the continuing detention of Sen. Leila De Lima — arrested in 2017 over drug charges that she has maintained are made up and motivated by politics — and for alleged Senate inaction on her behalf.
"Why don't you ask Sen. De Lima herself?" Sotto said, saying he had prevented her arrest on Senate premises. De Lima had asked to be allowed to attend Senate sessions remotely while in detention, but has not been allowed to.
Courting foreign investments
Sotto and Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan — running mate of Vice President Leni Robredo — also had to go on the defensive after Bello called them out for allowing more foreign investors into the Philippines and for legislation granting tax breaks.
Sotto and Pangilinan said they backed the passage of these policies to open up the economy to foreign investments.
"We have lowered the threshold for those who would want to invest, foreign investments, because that is the way to open up the economy," Sotto said.
Pangilinan added that they introduced a P100-billion fund to support small businesses to balance the effects of the laws.
"Kinakailangan nating balansehin. Hindi pupwedeng bawal lahat ng foreign investment or restrictive to the degree na hindi na lalaki ang ating ekonomiya dahil nakakadagdag naman ito, sa totoo lang, sa trabaho," he said.
(We need to balance it. We cannot just ban foreign investments or be too restrictive to the degree that our economy won’t grow when, in reality, it creates jobs.)
HEATED EXCHANGE BETWEEN BELLO AND SOTTO
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) February 26, 2022
Vice presidential candidate Walden Bello hits Senate President Tito Sotto's proposal to rely on Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States regarding the issue of the West Philippine Sea. #BotoKo2022 pic.twitter.com/gaxWVmdGta
Bello and Partido Lakas ng Masa presidential bet Ka Leody De Guzman are campaigning on a platform that will put workers and the poor first and have taken aim at the political and economic elite, who they said do not know the problems of regular people and cannot address them. — Jonathan de Santos
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