YES, she was reading from her own notes that she wrote down during the presidential debate last Sunday, February 21, but not from prepared notes.
This was how Senator Grace Poe responded on Friday to a reporter’s question during a press conference in Tacloban City on some alleged observations that she was reading from notes while disputing her rivals at the debate.
The debate, held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City, was attended by all five presidential bets — Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
“Ganito, pagpunta namin doon lahat kami binigyan ng blankong papel na may ballpen. Alam ninyo kapag nagdedebate, kung ano ang sinasabi ng katunggali mo, to prepare for a rebuttal, you have to write those things down. If you want to. You don’t have to, because I am trained for that,” said Poe.
“Kaya sinusulat ko iyon. Pero panoorin ninyo na lang ulit kung talagang may binabasa ako wala naman. Kung meron man akong binabasa iyon ang mga sinusulat ko iyong notes.”
“At saka kung iyon man ang kanilang akusasyon, ulitin ko uli iyong buong sequence. Pero kung hindi din naman iyon, magkaulitan kami ng debate, hindi naman ako umaatras,” she said.
Poe said she did not prepare for the debate overnight, saying her preparation involved going around the country and getting the pulse of the majority.
“Hindi po maganda ang pag-aaral kung libro lamang ang tinitignan mo o manual. Kelangan mga tao ang kausap mo direkta. Ano ang kailangan ninyo sa inyong probinsya. Iyan ang ginawa namin sa Mindanao,” she said.
“At kapag tapos pag-aralan lahat iyan, wala ka nang ibang magagawa pa kundi mag-dasal na sana naman, kung ano talaga ang dapat mong masabi na tunay na makakatulong, ang iyong maalalang sabihin,” she further said.
The first debate was organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and GMA Network.
Two more debates also organized by the Comelec with other media partners are scheduled in March and April this year.