COMELEC Officials has announced last September 21, 2015 that they have plans to hold debates for presidential and vice presidential candidates in the upcoming 2016 national election.
According to Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, the debates are intended to assist voters in making informed choices.
Here's what he said: “We would like to veer away from personality politics towards politics based on issues and platforms. We want a candidate to focus on substantive issues and public policy pronouncements,”.
Furthermore, he mentioned: That the debates are provided under Section 7.3 of Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Election Act, which states that the Comelec “may require national television and radio networks to sponsor at least three national debates among presidential candidates and at least one among vice presidential candidates.”
“We are doing this to provide a mechanism for exacting accountability among elected officials with regard their campaign promises,”.
The debates will be conducted in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. See the proposed schedule and venue:
