MANILA – The first presidential debates scheduled this month will be a three-hour event, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“The 3-hour debates will follow a single-moderator format, with no live audience,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement.
“Draw lots will determine to whom the first question will go. Succeeding questions, however, will be answered by the candidates in their alphabetical order,” he added.
On March 19, the first debate will be conducted while the second debate is set for April 3.
A vice-presidential debate is scheduled for March 20.
There has been no announcement yet regarding the venues of the events.
“Each debate is anchored on a set of predetermined topics on pressing concerns of the country, such as pandemic and the economy, and the pool of questions will come from the concerned sector groups,” Jimenez added.
Meanwhile, Comelec and Vote Pilipinas are working to formalize the agreement to conduct the Pilipinas Debates 2022.
Jimenez stated that the signing ceremony will be held on March 7 at the Sofitel Hotel, Pasay City.
“We are very excited to have the agreement signed so we can finally share the details and mechanics of this much-awaited Comelec-organized debates,” he said.
“This is a high-stakes event that the voting public has been fervently looking forward to, so we expect all candidates to be on deck and ready to demonstrate why they deserve our vote,” Jimenez added.
He claimed that the Pilipinas Debates 2022 will have back-to-back town hall debates with both remote and in-person audiences, as well as a post-debate roundtable.
The presidential and vice-presidential town hall debates will be held on April 23 and 24, respectively. Both will follow a double-moderator format.
“Vote Pilipinas, the Comelec’s partner for voter education and information, has previously demonstrated its capability to mount successful campaign drives during the voter registration period. We are confident of their readiness and capacity to help ensure the success of this elections’ debates series,” Jimenez said.
Among other logistical and administrative tasks, the organizers will collaborate closely to conduct a rigorous selection process for the moderators and to ensure the utmost confidentiality in obtaining debate questions from the various sector groups.
