NextGen Day

Candidates for national office, including those vying for election, are not required to participate in debates.

They should, however, attend such activities, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez.

On Saturday, he stated on his Twitter account, @jabjimenez, that “Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates should commit to the public whose votes they seek that they would participate in the #PiliPinasDebates2022.”

In an earlier piece, Jimenez stated that while they cannot compel candidates to attend public debates, candidates have typically attended Comelec-sponsored debates.

In February, March, and April, the polling organization will organize three presidential and vice-presidential debates.

The Comelec and its media partners held three presidential debates and one for vice presidential candidates prior to the 2016 elections.

The Comelec may mandate national television and radio networks to organize at least three national debates among presidential candidates and at least one national discussion among vice-presidential candidates, according to Section 7.3 of Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Election Act.

“The presidential candidates’ debates shall be scheduled on three different calendar days: the first debate shall be scheduled between the first and second weeks of the campaign period; the second debate shall be scheduled between the fifth and sixth(th) weeks of the campaign period; and the third debate shall be scheduled between the tenth and eleventh weeks of the campaign period,” the law states.

Meanwhile, presidential contender Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s spokesperson defended the former senator’s choice to decline an offer to appear on a television talk program.

“Presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos’ duty is to the Filipino people, not to a single TV show or program presenter,” said lawyer Victor Rodriguez in a statement released on Saturday. “We will continue to communicate directly to the public in a variety of equally important shows, platforms, and forums where all attendees are free to submit their thoughts, plans, and platforms without filtering or bias.”

Rodriguez claims the show’s host has a long history of bias against the Marcoses, and they believe “her questions will just focus on negativity about BBM,” rather than “how the aspiring presidents will solve our country’s lingering problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and what their plans are for our country to recover from economic stagnation.”

National candidates will begin campaigning on February 8, or 90 days before the election, while local candidates will begin campaigning on March 25, or 45 days before the election.

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