Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. or BBM has directed his campaign manager, Benjamin Abalos Jr., to request that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other presidential candidates address the debate format first before the event.
Abalos, in a letter to Comelec, said it would be “more proper and prudent if all presidential candidates will be given an opportunity to discuss before the Commission among themselves the format, which will include the issues to be discussed, the time allotment for each, the right to respond and rebut his/her arguments, who will be the moderator, among others.”
Abalos said that he was the one who wrote to Comelec about the poll body’s decision to have a presidential debate.
“So ganito, ako ‘yung inutusan ni BBM (Bongbong Marcos), ni ating Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the national campaign manager to write a letter sa lahat ng presidentiable at sa Comelec, na pagusapan ano ang format ng debate,” Abalos said if BBM would attend the debate for presidential candidates.
(As the national campaign manager, I was ordered by Bongbong Marcos to write a letter to all the presidential candidates and to the Comelec for us to tackle first the format of the debate.)
“Para kasing ginagawa sa ibang bansa, partikular sa Amerika, na lahat ng tatakbo roon sa debate ay talagang nagusap-usap,” he added.
BBM asks Comelec, candidates to review debate format
(It’s like what they are doing in other countries, particularly in the US, where all candidates joining the debate talk first.)
According to Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, all presidential candidates, including Marcos Jr., will attend the presidential debate on March 19.
However, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, the spokesperson of Marcos Jr., said BBM’s attendance could only be confirmed: “if his hectic campaign schedules permit.”
Marcos Jr.’s camp said in their February 11 letter to Comelec: “Foremost, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has expressed his readiness to join the same.”
However, Abalos said the Comelec has yet to respond to his letter.
“Unfortunately hanggang ngayon wala pang sagot sa akin ang Comelec, wala pa and that’s on record. Nabasa ko na lang sa pahayagan na sinabi nila, sine-set nila,” he said.
(Unfortunately, until now, Comelec has yet to respond, and that’s on record. I just read in the papers that they are already setting up the debate.)
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