A review of PiliPinas 2016: The Vice Presidential Debate

“Less mudslinging, more focus on the issues.” This was how most people described PiliPinas 2016: The Vice Presidential Debate, held last Sunday (April 10) at the Quadricentennial Pavillion of the University of Sto. Tomas.

 

ISSUE-CENTRIC. Mudslinging was still present, but issues were discussed more often than not.

 

The first and only vice presidential debate sanctioned by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was informative to say the least. It had less entertainment value than the previous presidential debates, but the vice presidential hopefuls made up for it by giving answers that addressed issues and not each other.

 

Hecklers to Marcos: Never again

Sparks flew before the debate proper even began. While jeers and cheers came before and after the opening statements of the other candidates, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. almost failed to deliver his due to hecklers chanting “Never again to Martial Law.”

 

Video courtesy of Inquirer.net

 

Here are key points from each of the candidate’s opening statement:

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano: No one can serve two masters. Love one and hate the other.

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero: Lead with fairness and equality; favor no one.

Sen. Gringo Honasan: I will bring the audacity to act and make things happen.

Sen. Bongbong Marcos: We need an honest leader, someone who will put the needs of others before anything else.

Cong. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo: A leader that seeks to inspire.

Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV: Crime and corruption hinder our economic growth. If elected, I will vow to eliminate both.

 

Corruption as most heated topic

Several topics were discussed during the 3-hour debate: economic growth, political dynasties, human rights, peace and order in Mindanao, foreign policy, the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, as well as internet and connectivity.

At the height of the debate, however, was the very heated debate on corruption. When asked about how they would fight corruption:

• Escudero said both he and Sen. Grace Poe were committed in fighting corruption, championing the Freedom of Information bill.

• Honasan focused on empowering local government units as well as asking voters to focus on platforms and issues tackled instead of personalities.

• Robredo stressed the importance of accountability, transparency, as well as people participation in the fight against corruption. She cited the House version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill and how it gave more transparency compared to the Senate’s version.

• Trillanes proposed an anti-corruption agency under the executive department, saying how this will eliminate the need to deal with multiple agencies like the Commission on Audit.

 

The highlight, however, came when Sen. Cayetano started taking potshots against Sen. Marcos. He reacted to Sen. Marcos said neither he nor his family was involved in any corrupt practice by pointing out how the Marcoses “stole $10 billion” during Martial Law. He also cited how Sen. Marcos was never present in hearings about corruption issues.

Sen. Marcos fired back by saying the hearings focused more on politics rather than battling corruption. When Sen. Cayetano touched on their ill-gotten wealth, Sen. Marcos said they have continued to abide by court rulings.

 

On political dynasties and human rights violations

Shots were fired anew when the issue of political dynasties was raised. Sen. Honasan held off about commenting on keeping political dynasties in check, focusing on trying to learn more about their impact to society.

Cong. Robredo stressed the importance of passing the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill to ensure equal opportunity. She also said according to a recent study, the presence of political dynasty is correlated with poverty.

Sen. Trillanes raised the importance of a candidate’s integrity more than their name, while also taking a jab at Sen. Escudero when he said he never automatically supported his relatives during elections.

Sen. Marcos and Sen. Cayetano, however, took center stage once more as the latter posed a question regarding Sen. Marcos’ statement. Sen. Marcos asked the voters to “forget our last names and focus on what we have done”, to which Sen. Cayetano replied: “Kalimutan ang pangalan? Kalimutan ang history? Paano kung 30 years from now tumakbo ang apo ni Janet Lim-Napoles?” (Forget the name? Forget history? What if Janet Lim-Napoles’ grandchild runs for public office 30 years from now?)

Human rights also put Sen. Marcos in the spotlight. When asked if he acknowledges human rights abuses during his father’s term, he said he “acknowledges all human rights abuses of every administration.”

For her part, Cong. Robredo wanted him to acknowledge not just the human rights abuses but his family’s ill-gotten wealth, asking for its return. Sen. Trillanes, on the other hand, said “A lot of people will vote for him in hopes of them returning their ill-gotten wealth.”

 

True function of the VP and why they should get our vote

The candidates were all unanimous in saying the Vice President was not a spare tire. They all agreed that the Vice President played a crucial role in our country’s success, albeit they each wanted a different role.

When asked about why they deserve our vote, they had this to say:

• Escudero: This election is about your interests and well-being.

• Cayetano: I want a country devoid of war and drugs.

• Trillanes: Our country needs a VP that will face our problems head-on.

• Robredo: I am a mother who will always look after her children. I will always look after our country. To the six of us, may the best woman win.

• Honasan: I am an honest, hardworking legislator. I am also a good father and grandfather. We cannot think of our home and our country separately; we should come home to a country that’s safe, strong, and free.

• Marcos: Our country needs better leaders; leaders that seek to unite and not to divide, look to the future and not to the past.

 

Conclusions

While there was less drama compared to the presidential debates, the vice presidential debate certainly did not disappoint. It gave the public a chance to see how each candidate looks at the issues we have as a country and how they will handle it should they win.

Cong. Leni Robredo and Sen. Cayetano stood out for different reasons. Cayetano was tenacious, raising issues about other candidates and pressing issues whenever the opportunity presented itself, particularly if it is targeted at Sen. Marcos.

Robredo, on the other hand, gave clear, concise answers to most, if not all questions posed. She gave examples from her term, highlighting what she has done rather than throwing mud at the other candidates.

Most people want another round for these vice-presidents-to-be, as several issues weren’t given ample time, with same-sex marriage and climate change being the two that netizens craved for the most. At the end of the day, each candidate has shown much of their hand. Their fate is in our hands, and May 9 will be the day when their fates will be decided.

For the complete coverage of PiliPinas 2016: The Vice Presidential Debate, please click here.

 

Source: Rappler, CNN Philippines

Candidate photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero), Senate of the Philippines (Gringo Honasan, Antonio Trillanes IV, Bongbong Marcos), and lenirobredo.com