MANILA, Philippines—Commission on Elections Chair Jose Melo on Monday backed the proposal for the Comelec to sponsor debates among presidential and vice presidential candidates running in the 2010 elections.

Melo, however, said the Comelec had no plans of making participation in debates a qualification for candidacy.

He said that having debates for candidates to the highest offices would put greater emphasis on issues “instead of personalities.”

“It will not be a qualification but it will elevate the plane of the campaign,” Melo said. “It is only illegal if you make it a qualification for those who want to run.”

Melo was apparently reacting to a statement by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal who said Sunday that requiring candidates to participate in debates was unconstitutional since nowhere is it stated in the Constitution that is this is one of the qualifications for the positions.

Although the Comelec is busy preparing for the 2010 elections, Melo said, it could still handle preparations for debates. “There is no problem, if it’s part of the work,” he said.

Last week, Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento proposed that the Comelec sponsor mandatory debates between presidential and vice presidential candidates for 2010.

He has since clarified that appearance in the debates would not made as a qualification for candidacy.

Sarmiento said the idea, which he took from the debates held by the United States’ Commission on Presidential Debates, would make the public aware of the candidates’ platforms and agenda beyond sound bites and advertisements.

Resolution will do

He said there was no legal hurdle against holding debates, adding that the Comelec could simply pass a resolution to the effect as part of its mandate to educate voters.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the joint bicameral panel on the automation of elections, said the Comelec should let the media organize the debates.

He said debates would be good for the voting public, but the Comelec should not get involved in it because it already had too much on its hands.

“If somebody refuses to debate, the media are going to tell the people not to vote for that candidate because that violates transparency. It violates the truth. Are you just going to be subjected to advertising claims or the stunts of the candidates?” Gordon said.

The senator said the Comelec should just focus on getting the 2010 polls fully automated.

Also on Monday, Melo disclosed that the Comelec was considering seeking changes in the Omnibus Election Code in preparation for the automated polls in 2010.

He said Comelec officials were thinking of having voting hours extended and allowing early voting so that the use of the election machines could be maximized.

“We will have to economize with the machines so that we can save even a little bit,” he said.

The Comelec said it would need at least P21 billion for the election machines.

“We will devise a system for early voting. For instance, the ballots could be put in a vault in the central bank until election day,” he said.

Melo said he was aware that critics would not approve of early voting because it would give politicians a chance to tamper with the ballots. “We will devise something that cannot be questioned,” he said.