If he does not appear for the April 13 debate, Poe will be represented by an empty chair, said officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and a Roman Catholic Church-run poll monitoring body organizing the event.
Henrietta de Villa, founding chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), confirmed that representatives of President Arroyo and four other candidates have registered for the debate. De Villa said their group did not receive any response from Poe’s camp.
Rep. Francis Escudero, Poe’s spokesman, said they recognize the need for a debate among presidential candidates but Poe’s participation in the event "all depends on the campaign schedule." "If you ask me, I think he should participate in the debate," he said.
To emphasize the failure of a presidential candidate to show up in the debate, the time allotted for the absent candidate will be equal to the time allotted to all other candidates, De Villa said.
A meeting among Comelec and PPCRV officials and representatives of the six presidential candidates was set on March 3 to finalize the venue and other mechanics of the debate. Only Poe did not send a representative to the first meeting held at the Comelec office in Manila.
In the past, Poe has tried to brush aside suggestions for him to sit in discussions with other presidential hopefuls. He said "debates divide the people. And they are just talk, They don’t really do anything to help the masses." Surveys show that Poe, a high school dropout, is leading the presidential race.
The movie actor has also earlier proposed to hold the debate in a slum area. But the PPCRV appears not inclined to accept the proposed venue, saying it has to be discussed and agreed by representatives of all the other candidates. It also said that presidential protocol, security and limited debate time are being given importance. The debate will be aired on ABC-5 television.
Meanwhile, unlike her fiercest rivals in the May polls, Mrs. Arroyo is raring to face her opponents in a nationally televised debate to discuss economic, political and social programs.— With Delon Porcalla, Jose Aravilla, Jose Rodel Clapano, Marichu Villanueva