
MANILA – A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said on Thursday that candidates for the country’s two highest elective positions will square off in face-to-face debates ahead of the May 2022 elections.
“It will be face-to-face (debate) among candidates. candidates will be in the same place will be debating in person but the audience will be virtual,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a television interview.
Simultaneously, he stated that they intend to organize six debates.
“We are looking to have essentially six debates — three for president and three for vice president (VP). We have three presidential debates as a general rule. Last election, we had one vice presidential debate which CNN hosted,” Jimenez added.
They’re also trying to add more debate schedules for individuals running for the country’s second highest position, according to Jimenez.
“This time we are hoping to expand the number of VP (vice president) debates seeing how VP is elected independently of the president. They might have their own debate series,” he said.
Prior to the May 2016 elections, the poll authority held three presidential debate series in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with the VP discussion taking place in Manila.