Palace lauds Comelec plan to hold presidential debates

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang backed yesterday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) plan to organize debates among presidential candidates in the 2016 polls.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Sec. Herminio Coloma Jr. said over radio dzRB that it was important for the public to get to know the candidates and the issues facing the country vis-à-vis the coming elections.

“Let us wait for what the Comelec program will be. In our view, they are doing their duty to push for the public’s effective participation in orderly and credible elections,” he said. 

Coloma said the Palace itself had been trying hard to level up the discussions related to the coming elections by citing concrete and official data to answer allegations thrown by the camp of opposition leader and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

He added that people should have ample basis to decide which claim to believe, since different pictures of the country’s situation were being painted. 

Coloma stressed that by showing reliable information, people would know which of them was on the side of truth and reason.

 Comelec spokesman James Jimenez was quoted in earlier reports as saying a resolution for the presidential debates was already being circulated.  

The filing of certificates of candidacy is in October and the debates will be scheduled and held in various areas in the country after that period.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said a technical working group had been formed to study this and “come up with mechanisms and guidelines.”

He added that this would be done “to provide a mechanism for exacting accountability on campaign promises” made by candidates during the campaign period. 

The Comelec last hosted a debate in 1992. The Fair Elections Act or Republic Act No. 9006 allows the Comelec to “require national television and radio networks to sponsor at least three national debates among presidential candidates and at least one among vice presidential candidates.”