Comelec to host 3 presidential, VP debates starting Feb

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will host three debates for presidential and vice presidential candidates starting in February to give voters a chance to see them face off.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez stated that the debates are designed to meet the public's strong interest in seeing candidates interact.

The debates will be scheduled one per month, with one in February, another in March, and the final one in April, covering the entire campaign period.

Each debate session will be held consecutively, potentially on back-to-back days, with presidential and vice presidential debates occurring sequentially.

The presidential debates are planned to be held in different venues across the country's three main island groups, Visayas and Mindanao, if COVID-19 conditions allow.

Each candidate will be allotted 10 minutes to speak on general topics provided by the poll body, with debates lasting three hours per night.

Media participation will be open, and all media outlets will be invited to broadcast the events simultaneously, including live-streaming on the Comelec Facebook page.

Jimenez also mentioned that any candidate who chooses not to attend will have their assigned podium left vacant during the debate, a measure intended to motivate attendance.