Abella, Mangondato to join Comelec forum; Other bets finalizing sched —Jimenez
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MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella and businessman Faisal Mangondato have confirmed their participation in the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) forum, poll body spokesperson James Jimenez said Thursday.
The other presidential candidates, however are still fixing their schedules to join the Comelec’s PiliPinas Forum, said Jimenez.
“Ang latest info ko diyan (My latest information about that), we’ve had two solid confirmations and the rest, they’re just fixing their schedules daw,” Jimenez said on TeleRadyo’s On the Spot.
“Payag naman sila format. Payag sila sa mangyayari pero bibigyan natin sila ng choice kung kelan nila gustong gawin ‘yung interview. So, inaayos lang po ‘yung schedule nila,” he added.
(They agree with the format. They agree with what will happen but we will give them a choice when they want the interview to be conducted. So, they are just fixing their schedules.)
When asked who the two candidates that had “solid confirmations,” Jimenez responded: “Kung di ako nagkakamali, si candidate Faisal Mangondato and si candidate Ernesto Abella po. Maaaring nadagdagan na po ‘yan by now.”
(If I’m not mistaken candidates Faisal Mangondato and Ernesto Abella. The confirmations may have increased by now.)
Meanwhile, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who skipped the Comelec’s previous presidential debates, has declined to join the forum.
Other candidates in the presidential race are labor leader Leody de Guzman, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Senator Panfilo Lacson, lawyer and doctor Jose Montemayor Jr., Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Vice President Leni Robredo.
The PiliPinas Forum is organized by the Comelec together with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.
All candidates are entitled to a one-hour panel interview. It will be pre-taped and will air from May 2 to 6.
The forum is in lieu of the town hall debates which did not push through due to Impact Hub’s — Comelec’s event organizer — unpaid bill to Sofitel, the venue of the event.
