MANILA — The Commission on Elections on Monday announced that it will no longer conduct its final presidential and vice presidential town hall debates and will instead air pre-taped interviews of poll bets.
The PiliPinas Debates 2022 Series was supposedly set to be conducted on April 30 and May 1 after it was postponed over payment issues involving private firm Impact Hub Manila, which organized the previous debates. Initially, the debates were scheduled on April 23 and 24.
According to Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, the poll body will adopt a single candidate or team panel interview format in consideration of the “inevitable scheduling conflicts as the candidates approach the homestretch of the campaign period” and as advised by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. KBP agreed to organize the final two events.
The single candidate or team panel interview format will be a series of pre-taped panel interviews and will run from May 2 to 6, Garcia added.
The official stated that guidelines of the panel interviews will be issued tomorrow, adding all candidates will be entitled to a one-hour interview. The candidates have the option to conduct in-person or virtual interviews.
Impact Hub Manila apparently failed to settle a P14-million balance with debate site host Sofitel Philippine Plaza, causing the debates to be postponed.
The private firm emphasized in a statement that Comelec is not a party to its agreement with Sofitel. The “private deal” included logistical and technical support for the presidential and vice presidential debates.
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