Pacquiao urges Comelec to shun request for advance questions during public debates (Sabong News)

PROMDI presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao has asked the Commission on Election (COMELEC) to reconsider its position in giving advance topics and questions to candidates in the forthcoming face-to-face debates. Pacquiao, presidential candidate of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s wing, said these debates are supposedly meant to provide people an informed choice about their candidates, the quality of their leadership, and their style of governance. The senator reminded the COMELEC that its mandate is not only to ensure an honest and clean election but also to provide the electorate the avenue to make the right decision. The lawmaker also reiterated that presidential bets who shun public debates and refuse to be subjected to full public scrutiny are obviously not ready to lead the country. So far, the only ones apparently shunning participation in public debates are presidential candidate and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. “Tumatakbo kang Presidente tapos hihingin mo yung mga tanong? Kailangan ready ka sa mga tanong kasi tumatakbo kang Pangulo ng Pilipinas (You’re running for president and yet you are requesting for questions? You should be ready for the questions because you are running as president of the Philippines),” Pacquiao said in a media briefing in his sorties in Pangasinan. “Dapat di ka mapili sa tanong kasi pag tumatakbo kang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, as much as possible, lahat ng tanong pwede itatanong sayo dahil ikaw ay nag a-apply na maging leader ng bansa. Kailangan open ka sa lahat ng mga tanong hindi yung pipiliin mo yung mga tanong (You shouldn’t be choosy about the questions because you’re running for higher public office, as much as possible, anything can be asked because you are practically applying to be a leader of a nation. You should be open to all questions and not screening the questions),” the former boxing icon turned senator further said. That is why, Pacquiao said he insists it would be best for the COMELEC not to provide advance questions so that the electorate can truly get a sense of the “purity” of their intention in seeking the presidency. “Siguro para hindi sila magkamali at mapag- aralan nila ang mga sagot nila. Pero mas maganda on-the-spot ang tanong para mabigla. Makikita mo yung purity kung anong nilalaman ng kanilang puso, kung tunay ba o hindi diba (Maybe to minimize mistakes and enable them to study their answers. But I think it’s best if they answer questions on-the-spot. You can see the purity of their hearts, if they are for real or not),“ Pacquiao said. “Ako nga di naman ako nanghihingi ng mga advance questions eh. Ready naman ako pero may mga ganun diba? Dapat walang hingian. Surprise kung surprise (I don’t ask advance questions myself. I’m ready whenever I am asked right? They should not request. It’s supposed to be a surprise),“ he reiterated. Nevertheless, the lawmaker said it is easier for the public to demand a performance audit on their leaders because every promise they make are now recorded digitally and can be easily accessed by the public these days. “Naka record lahat ng interview ngayon so kahit umabot pa ng 10 taon eh nandiyan pa rin yan, (All interviews are now recorded so even after 10 years, you can see that),” he stressed.