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:
For Presidential Debates
Mindanao: Feb. 9 and 22, 2016
Visayas :March 8 and 21, 2016
Luzon: April 12 and 25, 2016
For Vice - Presidential Debates
Any day from April 4 to 8 in Metro Manila.
The Commission on Election (Comelec) will work with the The STAR, TV5 and BusinessWorld to make this event possible.
Topics for the Debates:
Mindanao Topics:
- Agriculture development,
- Poverty reduction and asset creation and redistribution,
- Charter change and peace and order.
Visayas Topics:
- Disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation,
- Healthcare,
- Education
- Fighting corruption
- Traffic and public transportation,
- Electoral and political reforms
- Foreign policy, tax reforms and
- National defense
There were proposals to hold the debates during Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The poll body prefers that the debates be held in schools and stadiums.
Bautista said the Comelec and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas would formulate the guidelines to ensure order and fairness.
The debates is also not mandatory or compulsory. So the candidates have the option whether to join or not to join the debate.
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