Otso Diretso asks Comelec to facilitate debate with Hugpong
Credit to Author: jvicente| Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 03:34:44 +0000
MANILA, Philippines — Opposition senatorial candidates have formally asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to facilitate a public debate between them and the 13 senatorial candidates of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, and election lawyer Romy Macalintal led the submission of the request letter on Thursday at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila.
The opposition cited Comelec’s “independence and impartiality” to facilitate the debate which they believe “would benefit the voting public, who has all the right to know the platforms and positions on various issues” of Otso Diretso and HNP.
The candidates also said the poll body may include issues on “foreign incursions in our waters and the influx of foreign labor,” the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law and other “anti-poor policies,” the “alarming degree of unsolved murders around the country,” the “lowering of minimum age of criminal responsibility” and “official corruption and cronyism… in reclamation projects and telco contracts,” “without prejudice to whatever other issues the HNP may add.”
“Debates provide an avenue for voters to understand issues and the values and character of the people who are courting their votes. The public deserves to know whether they are voting for their own interest, or for those of the wealthy, powerful few,” the Otso Diretso bets said in their letter.
The opposition candidates earlier urged HNP founding chair Sara Duterte-Carpio to send a representative who would meet them to set the format and rules of the debate after the HNP snubbed their scheduled debate last Feb. 25. But the Davao City mayor and presidential daughter said a third party entity should organize it.
“Sila naman ‘yong nagtawag ng debate ‘di ba? I am a mayor of Davao City, I am the chairman of HNP, hindi po ako secretary ng Otso Diretso (I am not the secretary of Otso Diretso),” she told reporters after a campaign sortie in San Andres, Manila on Wednesday.
READ: Sara Duterte on Otso Diretso’s request to set debate rules: I’m not your secretary
The other senatorial aspirants under the Otso Diretso banner are human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, former Rep. Erin Tañada, Sen. Bam Aquino and former Sen. Mar Roxas. /jpv/muf
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