PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will still not be able to join the panel interviews for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), his spokesman and chief of staff Vic Rodriguez said yesterday.
In a television interview, Rodriguez said while Marcos favors the interview panel over the debates, the hectic schedule of the UniTeam presidential candidate prevents him from participating.
“We have long been pushing for that…not the noisy debates, not the fighting. The problem, however, is the lack of time,” Rodriguez said.
Last week, Marcos said they are in the final stretch of the campaign and face a hectic schedule leading to the May 9 elections.
Marcos and his running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, had declined to join the debates organized by Comelec last March. Marcos had also declined debates organized by private media networks but attended the presidential debate organized by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s media network SMNI.
The Comelec yesterday defended its decision to cancel the last Vice-Presidential and Presidential Town Hall Debates set this weekend and shift instead to panel interviews, saying it is making the most given the present circumstances.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said that while they understand the disappointment of some sectors regarding the cancelation, the poll body is out to salvage what is left available to them after the Impact Hub Manila controversy.
Last week, the Comelec announced the postponement of the Vice Presidential and Presidential Town Hall Debates set April 23-24 to April 30 and May 1 after its private partner, Impact Hub Manila, encountered financial issues with Sofitel Philippine Plaza, the venue of the PiliPinas Debates 2022. Reports said Impact Hub Manila had failed to pay P14 million to the venue.
“We were put in this unfavorable situation and we are running out of time with only a few days left before Election Day. And because we have no more time, we are just out to salvage whatever we can in this situation,” said Garcia.
“It may not be what we hoped for or it may lack preparations, but what is important is we can get through this so-called last hurrah of our candidates being able to talk to the people through this new format,” he added.
Last Monday, the Comelec said the change was necessary due to the “inevitable scheduling conflicts” with candidates approaching the homestretch of the campaign period. The pre-taped panel interviews are set to be shown from May 2 to 6.
Based on their initial communication with different campaign teams, Garcia said several candidates have given positive responses to the invitation for panel interviews.
“Their initial responses were okay. But, of course, they are still waiting for the rules and guidelines of the interview,” he said.
Among them, he said, is the issue on whether the interview will not be edited by the production crew.
“Based on our initial discussions with the KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), it should be as if you are there. Whatever was seen and heard, that is what should be aired,” he said.
Garcia said they want the interviews to be free flowing and not appear as scripted. He said they hope to make the rules and guidelines available to the candidates yesterday afternoon.
The Comelec also said it is looking to resolve the intra-party dispute between the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino—Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) before the May 9 polls.
Garcia said they have created a special panel to handle the conflicting claims of the two PDP-Laban factions.
“Hopefully, this issue regarding the two factions will be resolved before we come out with the resolution on the dominant majority and minority parties,” he said.
In September 2021, the PDP-Laban wing of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi filed a petition to the Comelec against the camp of Sen. Manny Pacquiao, asking the poll body to declare the latter as illegal representatives of PDP-Laban.
Garcia said, however, that resolving the PDP-Laban issue is not a requirement for the Comelec to be able to identify the Dominant Majority Party and the Dominant Minority Party as well as the 10 Major National Parties, and the 2 Major Local Parties for the May 2022 polls.
“We can come out with the resolution even if we have yet to resolve which is the legitimate faction among these warring parties,” he said, adding they are hoping to come out with a decision this Friday. — With Gerard Naval
