De Lima to Comelec: There's Still Time for Otso-hugpong Debate

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) should reconsider its decision not to organize a debate between opposition coalition Otso Diretso senatorial candidate and rivals from the pro-administration Hugpong ng Pagbabago, detained Senator Leila de Lima said Monday.

She stressed that debates are important, especially with the proliferation of fake news.

'As the constitutional body mandated to conduct clean and honest elections, one of its tasks is also to assure a well-informed electorate by the time the ballots are cast on election day,' De Lima said in a statement.

'An organized debate is one of the more reliable ways for the candidates to show their readiness for public office, and for the voters to test the candidates' qualifications for the position they are running for,' she added.

De Lima argued that the public could not simply rely on campaign s and propaganda.

She said that these forms of campaigning are not enough to educate voters as in terms of track record, platform, and programs of the candidates.

'The Comelec should realize that now, more than ever, organized debates among national candidates are important to expose the lies and fake credentials being peddled in social media by unscrupulous candidates,' De Lima said.

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