MANILA, Philippines—A high-ranking official of the Commission on Elections has proposed that the poll body hold mandatory debates for presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2010 elections.

Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, who observed the recently concluded elections in the United States that saw Barack Obama win over John McCain, said the poll body should hold a series of debates for the 2010 candidates as part of the voters' education program.

In the United States, the federally funded Commission on Presidential debates handled the three televised face-offs between Obama, the Democratic candidate, and McCain, the Republican standard-bearer.

“I think we should pass a resolution [on that]. I think one way of educating our people is through the presidential and vice-presidential debates so we can gauge the capacity, the potential and the eloquence of the candidates,” Sarmiento told reporters yesterday.

He said the mandatory debates could be used to gauge the worthiness of the candidates for the highest and the second highest posts in the land.

“The good thing about the debate is, if it becomes a tradition, it will screen potential candidates. Those who think they will not do well won't run anymore,” Sarmiento said.

Thinking on their feet

He added that he was impressed by the US presidential and vice-presidential face-offs. Not only did it inform the voters about the candidates' stand on the issues, it also showed their personalities which voters don't usually see on the campaign trail, Sarmiento said in his report to the Comelec.

The televised debates between McCain and Obama showed how fast they could think on their feet, giving verbal and nonverbal responses to critical questions on a variety of subjects that included global warming, the war on terror and the economic recession. It also gave viewers a chance to compare the two candidates—who looked more comfortable in charge or who looked more presidential.

Sarmiento said the Obama-McCain debates helped undecided voters in their choices.

First debate in the country

If the Comelec pushes through with the plan, it would be the first presidential and vice-presidential debates that the constitutional body would hold.

In the past, local candidates appeared only in television shows or fora organized by interest groups to explain their positions on several issues. Some candidates did not even appear in the discussions.

Having mandatory debates would not need an amendment to the Omnibus Election Code, Sarmiento noted.

“The Comelec is empowered under the law—the Omnibus Election Code and the Constitution—to educate our people … so we can just pass a resolution on that,” he said.

The poll body would have to set the format and the ground rules to guarantee that the debate would yield a fruitful discussion, Sarmiento added.

New technology

He said the Comelec could ask members of the media to cover the debate so candidates would be encouraged to participate.

Sarmiento also noted how the US elections used new technologies and the Internet to increase participation in the elections and encourage voters to go to the polls.

He said the use of blogs, phone brigades, text messaging, click-to-donate tools on websites enabled Obama to get the support of the youth, as well as funding from nontraditional sources.

Sarmiento said Obama's campaign was especially insightful for the Comelec, which aims to increase young voters' participation in the elections.

Website for new voters

Comelec chair Jose Melo said the participation of the youth in the elections would ensure that “democracy is at work” in the Philippines.

On Friday, the Comelec announced the creation of a website geared to young and new voters. The site, once it’s up and running, would explain to voters the intricacies of the election process and the importance of casting one’s vote.

“The more we inform the public, the more we raise [their] awareness,” Melo said.