Comelec eyes debates for local bets

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is also planning to engage local election hopefuls in the 2016 balloting in debates that will allow them to discuss their platform of government to the people and provide an avenue for voters to discerningly assess their chosen candidates.

At a recent briefing, Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said the election body wanted the planned debates among presidential and vice presidential candidates to be replicated in the provincial, city and municipal level in partnership with the local media and civil society groups.

“We want these debates to be replicated in the local level. We will be encouraging the local Comelec offices to hold similar debates on the provincial, city and municipal level,” Bautista told reporters.

He also hoped that the various local civic organizations and church-based groups would take part in the Comelec’s endeavors by sponsoring these kinds of debates and discussions.

Earlier, Bautista announced that the Comelec will be organizing debates for the presidential and vice presidential candidates to provide voters a platform to effectively assess the candidates. But he had pointed out that participating in the debates will only be on a voluntary basis.

He had also warned that a candidate’s non-appearance, however, might have repercussions in his or her candidacy. “Their attendance or absence in these debates will also give a message to the voters,” the poll chief had said.

The guidelines for the debates will be formulated by the Comelec with the help of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

Should plans of duplicating such an endeavor in the local level push through, Bautista said the same guidelines will also be implemented among local candidates.

“Whatever guidelines that will be formulated at the national level can also be shared in the local level,” said Bautista.

In preparation for such debates ahead of the 2016 elections, the Comelec last week met with executives of various media organizations. During the meeting, it was proposed that presidential debates will be conducted thrice prior Election Day.

A presidential debate in Mindanao has been initially set between Feb. 8 and Feb. 22; in Visayas between March 8 and March 21 and in Luzon, between April 12 and April 15. Meanwhile, a debate among vice presidential candidates was proposed to be conducted between April 4 and 8.

Poverty reduction, charter change, peace and order, disaster preparedness, traffic and public transportation, tax reform, healthcare, education and corruption are among the issues that can be tackled during these debates.