All the presidential candidate, except for former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., showed up at the Comelec debate on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (SCREENGRAB FROM BROADCAST)
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will discuss other sanctions for candidates who will snub the next round of its presidential and vice presidential debates, according to Comelec Chair Saidamen Pangarungan.
During the Comelec-organized debate on Sunday, vice presidential candidate Walden Bello challenged the poll body to penalize presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for not participating in the debate on March 19 and 20, respectively.
‘Purely voluntary’
“But this debate is purely voluntary. We cannot force candidates who refuse to participate,” Pangarungan afterwards told reporters at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City.
Nevertheless, he said, the Comelec might require the candidates’ attendance in debates through a resolution.
“Definitely. We will address this particular problem during the en banc session this Wednesday,” said Pangarungan, who stressed that any decision has to be made as a collegial body.
Commissioner George Garcia said the Comelec en banc would discuss “what more can we do, what other sanctions” can be imposed on candidates who will not attend the next debates.
One-on-one debate
He also called on Congress to pass a law that will heavily sanction candidates who deliberately skip official debates.
“Comelec can only implement laws. There should be a law. The punishment must come from the legislature. Comelec cannot impose penalties that are not provided by law,” he said.
The only sanction imposed so far by the poll body was to ban presidential and vice presidential candidates who will refuse to attend the Comelec-organized debates from streaming their campaign sorties and “e-rallies” in the Comelec’s Facebook account.
The second presidential debate is scheduled on April 3.
The Comelec will also hold town hall-type debates for the presidential and vice presidential candidates on April 23 and 24, respectively.
In Silang, Cavite, Sen. Manny Pacquiao dared Marcos to a one-on-one presidential debate.
The retired boxing champ on Monday issued the challenge to Marcos, who has been criticized for snubbing presidential debates.
Pacquiao theorized that the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos might be “shy” in attending previous debates because so many others were present. “He might be shy because there are many attending. It’s okay with me if we debate, just the two of us. Let’s see his platform, my platform,” he said.
“If he is having second thoughts in attending debates, a one-on-one might be better for the country to know his platform, my platform,” he said.
Marcos skipped the first presidential debate organized by the Comelec on Saturday. In the past, he also snubbed presidential debates.
Pacquiao said issues like the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth, Marcos’ track record and failure to file income tax returns could be tackled during the debate to allow him to answer these issues.
What if Marcos declines his challenge?
“That is his right. But the people will start thinking, why is he refusing and not talking about his platform. Because we are tackling our platform so that the people will know,” Pacquiao said.
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