PiliPinas Debates 2016: the third and final Presidential Debate

It all boiled down to one last debate. Pangasinan was the location, and all five presidents were present at the third and final leg of PiliPinas Debates 2016: The Presidential Debate. Questions were asked, answers were given, and Filipinos were given one last chance to decide on who they will vote for come May 9.

 

ALL PRESENT. The five presidential candidates for this year’s national elections after they’ve given their final statements. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Cellona via ABS-CBN News.

 

The third and final leg, lead by ABS-CBN and the Manila Bulletin in cooperation with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), was a town hall-style debate, wherein people from the audience were the ones to ask their questions to all five candidates.

The town hall format seemed to suit Vice President Jejomar Binay the most: he took full advantage of being able to step away from the podium and towards whoever was asking the question, which was a member of the audience.

#DuRiam was also very much alive, with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte not having any questions for Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago apart from asking her about her health. He also quoted the senator several times when asked for programs or plans should he win in the May 9 elections.

Six issues were discussed during the debates, but one issue stood out in particular: our country’s lingering problem with contractualization. All five candidates were against contractualization, with Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago saying it is “illegal and possibly unconstitutional.” They all cited loopholes in our country’s labor codes as one of, if not the sole reason for our countrymen’s woes with contractualization.

Each presidential candidate had their own way of dealing with the problem, all of which centered around having a law against ENDO, the term workers use for contractualization:

• Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wants an anti-ENDO bill passed at least a week after assuming office, pointing out how it hampers opportunities for Filipinos

• Senator Grace Poe wants to give out incentives for business owners as well as lower corporate tax in order to discourage contractualization

• Former DILG Sec. Mar Roxas wants the same while proposing the creation of more economic zones to give more jobs

• Vice President Jejomar Binay was also against ENDO, but did not elaborate on what he would do to end it. He did highlight one of his plans to help out all workers: removing income tax.

• Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago wants to have more infrastructure projects to generate more jobs. She is also in favor of lowering both income and corporate tax.

 

Healthcare issues also stood out, thanks in large part to the exchange between Mayor Duterte and Sec. Roxas, with the latter asking Duterte to withdraw if he can disprove Duterte’s claim that no one from Davao got help from PhilHealth.

Here are their stands on how to solve the country’s seemingly perpetual healthcare issues:

• Roxas plans to have fully-equipped health centers for each barangay in the country. He also wants to ensure that health workers get their due, bring healthcare facilities to far-flung villages, and continue the improved PhilHealth coverage.

• Binay looks to implement Makati’s healthcare policies during his term, which include free hospitalization and coverage even without the need to be confined.

• Santiago plans to improve the exisiting Conditional Cash Transfer program as well as extend the coverage of PhilHealth benefits. She also wants to get rid of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) need for a politician’s letter of recommendation whenever our less fortunate ask for help

• Duterte wants to reallocate the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) funds and income into a trust fund that will be used to pay for hospital expenses of the poorest of the poor. He will also require all hospitals (public or private) to set aside 8-20 beds for “pro-bono” cases.

• Poe wants to have one doctor per town with the help of a scholarship program. She is also looking to improve the condition of our public hospitals and make sure that the less fortunate need not pay for anything related to hospitalization.

 

Other topics discussed were issues regarding the West Philippine Sea, the country’s traffic condition, OFW concerns, and peace in Mindanao.

The debate also had a one-on-one segment where each candidate got the chance to ask a question to another candidate. Though things heated up during this part of the debate, there wasn’t as much mudslinging compared to the first and second debates.    

A new segment was included in the last leg of the Comelec-sanctioned electoral debates: the Fast Talk segment.  This is where the candidates were given two minutes to answer as many questions as they can from the moderators Karen Davila and Tony Velasquez.

During Fast Talk, candidates were asked questions specifically directed at the biggest issues they were facing during their campaign.

• Binay was asked about imprisoning Mayor Duterte, his plans for the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth, and his endorsement of an Ampatuan (the clan was involved in the Maguindanao Massacre from the previous election) among others;

• Santiago was asked about her health as well as addressing concerns about burying the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani;

• Mayor Duterte explained why he is still a good example for children, the role of women as cabinet secretaries, as well as a possible declaration of Martial Law;

• Poe’s citizenship was once again called into question along with her husband’s. She was also asked regarding seeking US help in our fight against the Abu Sayaff group.

• Roxas was asked about the current administration’s actions against the tanim-bala modus as well as Yolanda relief efforts.

 

All in all, the third debate proved to be the one loaded with the most information. Some of the questions were already asked during the first or second debate. Still, if you combine all three debates, it should be enough for those who are still undecided to finally pick their candidate for president.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin, Business World, Rappler, GMA News Online, ABS-CBN News, Inquirer.net