Comelec pushes for debates among candidates

CEBU, Philippines — The Commission on Elections in Central Visayas (Comelec-7) recommends the holding a candidates’ forum or debate in the barangays during the campaign period.

Acting Comelec-7 director Veronico Petalcorin said this activity will give candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections an opportunity to present their political platforms or agenda.

“We encourage election officers or NGO’s (non-government organizations) to facilitate in conducting candidates’ forum to give opportunity to all candidates to express their intentions in running and their plans if ever they get elected,” he told reporters yesterday.

Campaign period runs from May 4 to 12.

He said this is one of the significant activities that Comelec-7 is endorsing to provide an efficient electoral process by guiding voters in their decision making.

Petalcorin, however, said he leaves to the local election officers the prerogative whether to hold such event.

Comelec officers may also coordinate with non-government organizations (NGOs) or other religious entities like Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation for Peoples Empowerment and Liberation (C-Cimpel) to initiate or sponsor the activity.

He said organizers can gather all the candidates per barangay and open the activity to their constituents.

The event can allow candidates to state their respective campaign thrusts and the public to raise questions but it would depend on how facilitators would organize the flow of the activity.

Petalcorin said this will be a good opportunity for candidates, especially those running as independent, to present themselves and how they would like to deliver their programs and policies so that voters can discern well who to vote.

This will provide an equal ground to independent candidates and to those who are running with political parties since campaigning is most likely favorable to the latter.

Aside from this initiative, other activities that Comelec offices are preparing is the holding of trainings and seminars of electoral boards, or the teachers tasked to count the ballots during the May 14 elections. —/MBG (FREEMAN)