Santiago would have raised level of discourse, says Marcos

Presidential candidate Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Vice presidential bet Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

SHE WOULD have raised the level of discourse in the second presidential debate on Sunday, vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said of presidential aspirant Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who had begged off from the debate held on Sunday at the University of the Philippines in Cebu.

Santiago skipped the second round of the presidential debates, and said she was undergoing clinical trial for a new cancer treatment.

She, however, assured the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the organizer of the debate, that she would take part in the third and final round of the debate should her treatment schedule permit it.

“If (Santiago) had been there, she would have raised the level of discussion among our presidentiables,” Marcos said of his running mate in a statement.

Santiago’s inability to participate in the debate was a “big loss,” Marcos said, adding that the candidates in Sunday’s debate focused on standing out.

The debate, delayed for more than an hour because of a major misunderstanding over the use of notes as insisted by presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, was characterized by a terse exchange of accusations among debate participants and presidential candidates—Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Vice President Binay.

“For us, (Santiago) is the best debater among them. She has the record not only as a debater but as a judge, as a legislator, as a senator (and) as executive, and we feel that she would have done very very well as she always does,” Marcos said.

The vice presidential candidate expressed hope that Santiago would be able to join the third and last round of presidential debates next month.

“I think and believe that she will still get the chance to get her message across and show her excellence, intelligence and skill in debating,”  Marcos said.