Philippines

Commission on Elections spokesperson James Jimenez says the changes in the format of the upcoming presidential debate will allow the candidates to answer in greater depth.

The Commission on Elections cannot limit the number of presidential candidates based on their chance of winning, an official said Friday.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may push for a law that will punish presidential candidates who refuse to participate in national debates, according to a commissioner.

Vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday said it is up to Congress whether to penalize those who do not attend election debates.

Expect changes in the next presidential debate that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) organized for Sunday, April 3, Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said Tuesday.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is bent on imposing additional penalties, based on what is provided under the law, to those who fail to attend its presidential and vice presidential debates.

Our presidential debates (and worse, the vice-presidential), if their formats are not drastically changed, are just a sheer waste of time.

Personally, I would have preferred if survey frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had attended the presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has suggested that presidential candidates invited to the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-sponsored debates should be required to wear earmuffs to avoid copying of ideas or answers.

Partido Lakas ng Masa vice presidential bet Walden Bello publicly challenged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to penalise his rival Sara Duterte and her presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos for snubbing the poll body’s debates.

Airing presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.'s interview on state-owned PTV an hour before the Commission on Election's scheduled presidential debates was a management decision, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to discuss this week other possible sanctions to national candidates who will skip the succeeding episodes of “PiliPinas Debates 2022”.