Philippines

Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos. Jr. is unlikely to consider taking part in a panel interview organized by the Commission on Elections in place of the final presidential debate, according to a report on "24 Oras" on Monday.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) hopes to complete within the week its probe into the failure of its partner to pay the hotel used as venue for its presidential and vice presidential debates, a poll official said on Sunday.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Saidamen Pangarungan and other poll body officials have approved the release of some P15 million in public funds to cover the money owed by Impact Hub, the organizer of the Comelec debates, to Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia said Sunday that it was unfortunate that the misunderstandings between their debate contractor and Sofitel Garden Plaza have led to the postponement of the supposed vice presidential and presidential townhall debates this weekend.

Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson and vice presidential candidate Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday said they will most likely skip the last debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after the recent changes in its schedule.

Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Friday said he is "okay to attend" the final presidential debate sanctioned by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), but would have to check his campaign schedule.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Friday said he might not join the last leg of the debates organized by the Commission on Elections, unless his fellow presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would show up.

The Commission on Elections announced Friday it has postponed the presidential and vice presidential debates slated this weekend to April 30 and May 1 amid the ₱14 million debt of its private partner Vote Pilipinas to hotel venue Sofitel.

In a document obtained by ABS-CBN News, Sofitel Philippine Plaza has threatened to "suspend all its remaining deliverables under the event contract" unless organizer Impact Hub coughs up P14 million as partial payment for their services.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson and public information director James Jimenez, as well as other poll officials are being asked to explain the reason behind the issues which led to the rescheduling of the final leg of the presidential and vice presidential debates.

The final debates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, run the risk of cancellation after the poll body’s contractor failed to fully pay Sofitel Garden Plaza, the official venue for the highly anticipated debate series.