HINDI na mapapayagan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) na makapag-ere ng kanilang e-rally o online campaign rally sa e-rally platform nito ang sino mang kandidato na iisnabin ang ikinasang presidential at vice presidential debates simula ngayong buwan.
Ayon kay Comelec spokesperson Director James Jimenez, hanggang sa matapos ang panahon ng kampanya, hindi na makakagamit ng e-rally platform ng Comelec ang iiwas sa mga debate.
Mayroong e-rally platform ang Comelec kung saan binibigyan ng patas na airtime ang mga kandidato sa national positions para sa kanilang election video campaign o campaign sorties.
“We do have a e-rally that we do allow them to use the platform and one of the agreements is that if they skip the debates, then they will not be able to air their e-rallies on our e-rally platform,” ayon kay Jimenez.
Una nang ikinasa ng Comelec ang presidential debate sa Marso 19, Abril 3 at townhall presidential debate sa Abril 24 habang ang vice presidential debate naman ay itinakda sa Marso 20 at townhall vice presidential debate sa Abril 24.
Umaasa naman si Comelec acting chairperson Socorro Inting na haharap sa debate ang lahat ng presidential at vice presidential candidates.
“I really hope all the candidates will participate in the debates sponsored by Comelec. One who refuses or skips the debate will not be allowed to join the e-rallies,” dagdag ni Inting.
Maliban sa hindi paggamit ng e-rally platform, iiwan lang na walang tao ang podium na nakalaan sana sa hindi dumalong kandidato.
Sinabi ni Jimenez na pinaplantsa na ang magiging latag ng kasunduan sa mga kandidatong haharap sa debate.
“We are still going to brief them on the fine points of the format that is actually all of the candidates are interested in. So we are going to hold that under wraps for now. The agreement with the candidates so that there will still be room for us to adjust in case they want for example a holding room for example,” dagdag nito. Jeff Gallos