EVEN before the official start of the campaign period for the May 2022 polls, voters may get a preview of what is to come when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) holds a “primary” debate among presidential candidates sometime in January.
In a press briefing, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said “the primary debate is probably early in the (coming) year. It will be sort of a teaser for the debates. It will just be for presidential candidates. Probably, by January.”
Jimenez said this will be aside from the planned three presidential and three vice presidential debates during the campaign period.
He said the debate series would be a hybrid set-up, with the candidates going face-to-face and the audience watching online.
“The debates will be spread out throughout the campaign period, February, March, April,” said the poll official.
Jimenez also said they will no longer partner with any media company in holding the debates, with the Comelec organizing everything.
“We are looking at different implementation models, with one having one organizer of the debate and everyone gets to cover it equally, like a pooled coverage,” said Jimenez.
Back in the 2016 elections, the Comelec and their media partners organized three presidential debates and one vice presidential face-off. The debates had live audiences and were broadcast live on television.
The Comelec is looking at releasing the final list of candidates in the May 2022 polls by the middle of December 2021.
Jimenez said it is highly unlikely the poll body could release the list by the first or second week of December.
“After November 15, that is when the Comelec really starts cracking down on the list right because everyone, who is getting out of the list voluntarily, has already gotten out,” said Jimenez.
“We are expecting the final list of candidates some time in December. The earliest that will come is in the middle of December,” he added.
A total of 97 presidential, 28 vice presidential, and 174 senatorial aspirants made it to the Comelec’s tentative list of aspirants-candidates for the coming polls.
Motu proprio petitions to declare as nuisance candidates have been filed against 82 presidential, 15 vice presidential, and 108 senatorial aspirants.
Meanwhile, President Duterte approved the nomination of Manila Chief Prosecutor Rey Bulay as commissioner of the Comelec for a term expiring on February 2, 2027, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
