An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the poll body should have just stuck with major broadcast networks as partners for organizing its election debates.
Comelec Commissioner George M. Garcia disclosed no less than Republic Act No. 9006 of Fair Election Act made this recommendation.
Under the said law, Comelec may require national television and radio networks to sponsor at least three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.
In exchange for the said service, the said media firms sell air-time for commercials for airing the said debates.
“It should really have been the major networks that would conduct the debates and the Comelec will be there just to supervise,” Garcia said in a television interview last Mon.
Pending action
He noted this was not the case in the five-part 2022 PiliPinas debates series, wherein Comelec instead partnered with a non-media entity, Vote Pilipnas or also known as Impact Hub Manila.
Comelec was forced to cancel the last two parts of debates series after Sofitel Philippine Philippine Plaza accused Vote Pilipinas of issuing bouncing checks to pay its P14 million liabilities.
Comelec Commissioner Rey E. Bulay is currently still investigating how Vote Pilipinas was picked to become Comelec’s official partner for the 2022 PiliPinas Debates series.
He is also looking into the purported attempt of Comelec Education and Information Department (EID) directors James B. Jimenez and Frances A. Arabe to P15 million of Comelec funds to pay for the liabilities of Vote Pilipinas.
The poll official recommended both directors to be temporarily transferred to another department pending the conclusion of his probe.
As of Mon., Garcia said the Comelec en banc has yet to act on the said recommendation.
He also noted both Jimenez and Arabe have not resigned from their posts.
“Until today (May 2) we would like to clarify, director James Jimenez to be our official spox and he remains to be the director of the EID and director Arabe likewise remains to be department director of said department,” Garcia said.