Comelec bares new PiliPinas Debates 2022 format (Sabong News)

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, March 31, disclosed the new format for the PiliPilinas Debates 2022 for presidential candidates that will take place on Sunday, April 3. If before candidates were asked one general question per segment, Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said the upcoming debate will have “one general question that will be posed for all the candidates to answer, and this will happen at the start of the debate.” “For each succeeding segment, the candidates will be divided [into] groups of three where each group will be given one question to debate on,” he added. Jimenez said there will be three questions for each succeeding segment. “There will be a total of four segments with this format. 120 seconds or two Minutes will be allotted per candidate to answer, with 30 seconds for a rebuttal,” he said. According to the spokesperson, groups of threes will change with each segment. “Each group will be randomly pre-determined via a drawing of lots which will happen two hours before the debate or at 5 p.m.,” said Jimenez. The participating presidential candidates, he said, will be given a 60-second closing statement. “We feel that these changes will give a more substantial debate that will allow the candidates to delve into the topics in greater detail,” Jimenez expressed. With the absence of a law penalizing debate skippers, the hands of the Comelec are tied as it cannot impose any sanction on candidates who will not take part in Comelec-organized debates. Garcia said it was tackled in their recent executive session the possibility of adding more sanctions to debate skippers, but they ended up with the conclusion that additional sanctions may be questioned as unconstitutional. Currently, the only sanction being imposed by the poll body to debate skippers is depriving them of the right to use Comelec’s e-rally platforms. “Wala na pong mapulot na pu-pwede pang maidagdag kasi naman po wala kasing batas, ‘yun po kasi ang pinakamahirap dun, eh. Walang batas (We cannot find any sanction that we could add because there is no law, that’s what makes it difficult. There is no law) …” Given such, Garcia has urged Congress to pass a law requiring the conduct of debates in all elections, specifying the guidelines, rules, and sanctions. “Para po mas maganda malinaw (In order for it to be clear). Kasi po kapag [ang] Comelec pa ang gagawa noon (If Comelec would do such), that would be unconstitutional because that is legislation,” said the poll commissioner. On March 19, the first PiliPinas Debates 2022 for presidential bets was held at the Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent in Pasay City. Nine out of 10 presidential candidates joined, and only Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. did not attend the debate. Meanwhile, the Town Hall debates for presidential and vice-presidential candidates will take place on April 23 and 24, respectively.