Philippines

MALACAÑANG (Presidential Palace) on Saturday urged the public to watch the final presidential debate, slated for Sunday, in order to know more about the candidates running in the May 9 elections for the highest office in the land.

Col. Christopher Abrahano, Dagupan chief of police, said at least 700 police and armed forces personnel including volunteers have been employed for the event's security, peace and order.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is still busy campaigning a day before the third and final presidential debate in Pangasinan on Sunday.

The parade will involve fisherfolk leaders, civil society groups and marine conservation advocates who want the candidates to include their sectors in their proposed government agenda and address the poverty in coastal communities and the deteriorating conditions of fishing grounds.

In an interview on Friday in Alaminos City, Binay said he would take a day off on Saturday to prepare for the last presidential debates to be hosted by ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin and organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The third and final Commission on Elections-initiated presidential debate, which will have a town hall format, will give opportunities for ordinary Filipino citizens to ask questions to the presidential aspirants.

Without any doubt, last week’s presidential debate, the second in the series authorized by the Commission on Elections, was a watershed in Philippine politics.

If it’s any indication, the Bilang Pilipino SWS (Social Weather Stations) Mobile Survey of March 22, 2016 showed that of the 35% who said they preferred Senator Grace Poe as president, 25% also voted for her before the debate.

To the question, “Who came out the best during the presidential debate last March 20, 2016?” 39 percent of respondents who watched the debate chose Poe, an independent candidate.

A Philippine presidential debate erupted into heated exchanges Sunday over allegations of corruption, a lack of patriotism and incompetence hurled against the leading candidates in a tight race to lead their poor and divided nation.

A delay going past an hour-and-a-half mark irked netizens and viewers who were eagerly waiting for the start of the second round of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 on Sunday (March 20, 2016).

Contrary to the first debate which had advertisements taking about a third of the airtime of the event, organizers said the second debate would have less commercial load — this would allow candidates to have more time to expound on their platforms and engage the other candidates.