FOUR PRESIDENTIAL candidates gave their respective takes on freedom of information, climate change, and a host of other issues during the second leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 on March 20.
The candidates were Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was unable to attend the debate due to health reasons.
PiliPinas is a debate series administered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in preparation for the May 9 national elections.
The second round of the series was hosted by television network TV5 in partnership with the Philippine Star and BusinessWorld and was held at the University of the Philippines-Cebu.
The debate proper was moderated by TV5 News and Current Affairs Head Luchi Cruz Valdez. She was joined by a panel composed of Aksyon anchor Erwin Tulfo, dyHP RMN Cebu commentator Ruphil Bañoc, TV5 anchor Lourd de Veyra, Philippine Star Associate Editor Marichu Villanueva, Philippine Star Editor-in-Chief Ana Marie Pamintuan, and Bloomberg TV Philippines host Tony Abad.
In an interview with The GUIDON, Ateneo Task Force Head Mawe Duque said that the second round of the PiliPinas series failed to discuss issues in-depth. “I think only [three] issues were discussed properly and comprehensively namely the country’s coal dependency vis-à-vis [the country’s agreement to reduce pollution, bottom-up budgeting, and the coco levy issue.”
However, Duque called on Ateneans to still use the debate “as a window to look into these candidates’ character, especially that more than their platforms, candidates stressed the importance of ‘leadership.’”
“No notes”
While the debate was scheduled to last from 5 to 8 PM, TV5’s pre-debate segment extended until 6:30 PM, with the debate delayed by an hour and a half.
The delay stemmed from the camps of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas arguing on the bringing of notes to the debate proper.
Valdez admitted that she told Binay’s camp that the vice president was allowed to bring his notes to the podium in her “earnest desire that all the candidates will be present.”
However, as per COMELEC rules, candidates are not allowed to bring notes on the podium. COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista (BS LM ‘86) stated that “notes are allowed backstage, but they cannot be brought onstage. This has been the rule since the first debate.”
Binay’s camp protested the decision, arguing that Valdez allowed him anyway and that “mas maganda ang pagpapaliwanag ko kung may dokumento (my discussion will be more coherent if I have supporting documents).”
In response, Roxas asserted the standing no-notes rule, arguing that the Philippines is “a rules-based society.”
Meanwhile, Senator Poe called out Binay for his protest, saying that his attitude toward the debate rules reveals something about his leadership.
Freedom of information
The first round commenced with veteran journalist Ed Lingao asking Poe the main reason behind the stagnant progress of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill’s passing under the Aquino administration.
Poe started by defending the role of the Senate as a primary component in the passing of the bill in the 16th Congress. “Matibay ang napasa naming [batas] (The bill we passed was ironclad)” said Poe, crediting fellow Senator Santiago and Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
“Nagbigay ito ng armas sa ating kababayan. (It will equip our citizens with the proper knowledge),” she added.
Last July 2015, the House of Representatives was unable to come up with a verdict on the FOI bill due to time constraints. In an article by the Philippine Star, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II of Mandaluyong City explained that the upcoming sessions had been devoted to the draft of the Bangsomoro Basic Law and the national budget.
Poe further justified the purpose of the FOI bill, which is to avoid graft and corruption cases similar to the controversial pork barrel scam. While she reiterated that the Senate is not the root cause of the delays in the bill’s approval, she is certain that there are a handful of detractors who are liable for blocking its progress.
Roxas shared the same sentiments with Poe. “May dahilan kung bakit tinututol ito ng mga kongresista (There are heavy reasons on why the bill is opposed by several congressmen).”
Moreover, he LP standard-bearer vowed to submit a more substantial FOI bill once he wins the presidency.
Meanwhile, Binay stressed the need for transparency, citing the executive department as integral to the implementation of FOI.
“Ito ang sagot sa graft and corruption (This is the answer to graft and corruption),” he said.
Energy mix
Following the debacle on the FOI Bill, Philippine Star journalist Amy Pamintuan asked Duterte about his stance on the Philippines’ commitment for climate change to the United Nations given the country’s dependence on coal energy.
Although Duterte clarified that coal is not the best energy resource, he said that constructing renewable energy facilities for hydroelectric and solar power would be too costly for the country.
He added that there is a need for the country to industrialize and invest in energy development since we are a “developing country.”
Roxas also declared support for the transition to greener energy resources in the country, being one of the most affected countries by climate change. Moreover, he reiterated the urgency for renewable energy but clarified that these resources need not be expensive.
As measured by the 2016 Climate Change Vulnerability Index, the Philippines is ranked the 13th most prone country to the effects of climate change.
On the other hand, Poe mentioned mitigation plans to help Filipino citizens prepare themselves against disasters. She claimed that around 13 million residents need to be evacuated from hazardous areas. To prevent occurrences of floods, she planned to build more flow-control projects and dams.
Probing platforms
When asked on how he would differentiate his administration from the current one, Roxas emphasized the continuity of the Daang Matuwid.
“Ang Daang Matuwid ay isang proseso, step by step ito, parang gumagawa tayo ng isang gusali (Daang Matuwid is a step-by-step journey; it’s like building a structure from scratch),” he said.
In addition, the LP standard-bearer mentioned an extension of bottom-up budgeting (BUB), which empowers local government units to have more fiscal power to implement community projects.
Roxas labelled the BUB as a means of providing the citizenry “pondo para sa kanilang pangangailangan.”
Poe however questioned the project’s presence around election period, possibly insinuating that the “walang iwanan fund” is a means of convincing the people to continue with Daang Matuwid. Roxas countered by saying that the BUB had begun in 2011.
Abad’s question for Binay, on the other hand, centered on the feasibility of his tax reform program that will exempt taxpayers earning Php 30,000 below.
“How do you reconcile a tax reform program with [given that] you also said you would embark on a massive public expenditure program that would make the Philippines like Makati?” Abad asked.
In response, the vice-president said that Abad is assuming that “walang compensatory measures.”
Moreover, Binay said that “ang dami nating savings” and that government is actually under-spending.
According to an Official Gazette report, the Philippine government missed its expenditures target and underspent given its surplus of Php 6 billion as of November 2015.
Taas-kamay
To gauge the candidates’ stands on certain issues, TV5 introduced the “taas-kamay” segment. After each round, the candidates were asked by Valdes to raise their hands if they are in favor of a certain issue, supposedly without justifying their choices.
After the first round, none of the candidates raised their hands when asked about legalizing divorce in the country.
After the second round, candidates were asked if they agree with the reimposition of death penalty. Out of the four, only Duterte and Poe raised their hands.
Lastly, after the third round, Duterte and Binay raised their hands on whether former president Ferdinand Marcos should be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, a national cemetery dedicated to Filipino military personnel, national heroes, and martyrs.
For Duque, the segment could have been improved with justifications from the candidates on their respective stands.
“A simple yes [or] no answer would not give Filipinos an opportunity to know more [about] the context of the issues,” he added.
FOUR PRESIDENTIAL candidates gave their respective takes on freedom of information,climate change, and a host of other issues during the second leg of thePiliPinas Debates 2016 on March 20.
https://storify.com/TheGUIDON/pilipinas2016-round-2
