THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Vote Pilipinas will both sign the agreement to stage the much-awaited Pilipinas Debates 2022.
The signing of the agreement will be held on Monday, March 7, 2022 at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City.
There will be two Presidential debates, with the first one to be held on March 19, and another one on April 3, 2022.
The Vice-Presidential side, on the other hand, will only have one debate, to be held on March 20, 2022.
“We are very excited to have the agreement signed so we can finally share the details and mechanics of the much-awaited Comelec-organized debates,” says Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez in a statement.
“This is a high-stakes event that the voting public have been fervently looking forward to, so we expect all candidates to be on deck and ready to demonstrate why they deserve our vote,” the statement added.
Each of the debates are anchored on a set of pre-determined topics on pressing concerns of the country like the pandemic and the economy, the statement read, and the pool of questions will be coming from concerned sectors and groups.
The three-hour debates will have a single moderator format with no live audience present. A drawing of lots will determine to whom the first question will go. Afterwards, succeeding questions will be answered by the candidates in their alphabetical order.
What is unique about Pilipinas Debates 2022 is that it will have back-to-back Town Hall-type debates, which will have both remote and in-person audience, and a post-debate roundtable.
The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Town Hall Debates will be held on April 23 and 24, respectively, and both will follow a double-moderator format.
“Vote Pilipinas, the Comelec’s partner for voter information and education, 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 added.
The Comelec and Vote Pilipinas, among all other logistical and administrative tasks, will work closely to undertake a rigorous selection process for the moderators, and to exercise utmost confidentiality in sourcing debate questions from the different sector groups.