Another Roco vs Bro. Eddie debate

Brace yourself for Round 2.

Alyansa ng Pag-asa standard-bearer Raul Roco and Bangon Pilipinas Movement (BPM) presidential bet Eduardo Villanueva might again go one-on-one at the second presidential debate sponsored by the citizen’s arm of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

But, then again, Villanueva may wind up going solo if Roco backs out altogether.

The first Roco-Villanueva face-off was at the "Tapatan sa Halalan 2004: Debate on population, poverty and human development" telecast live over ANC 21 on March 22.

The debate turned out to be a dud after Roco and Villanueva wound up agreeing with each other instead of arguing salient points in the debate.

President Arroyo, Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr. and independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson snubbed the March 22 debate.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) is set to push through with the second debate scheduled to be telecast live by ABC 5 tonight at 7 p.m. from the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City — even if only Roco and Villanueva have confirmed participation.

The debate’s organizers, however, are not sure if the President, Poe or Lacson would show up at the last minute, though they earlier declined the PPCRV’s invitation.

"We are prepared for any of the five, four, three or two debaters-scenarios," PPCRV secretary-general Clifford Sorida told The STAR in an interview.

Sorida said Roco and Villanueva have confirmed their participation during a meeting on April 6, "but Roco’s attendance was conditional. He would only attend the debate if President Arroyo would be there."

Sorida said that, as of press time, negotiations to convince Roco to join the debate whether or not Mrs. Arroyo will be there were still underway.

He said it would be useless to proceed if only Villanueva shows up, since "a debate is supposed to be an exchange of ideas between at least two parties."

PPCRV special media affairs consultant Ed Tamayo said "all candidates were represented during (the April 6) meeting (on the second presidential debate), but only the representatives of Roco and Villanueva have committed that they will attend."

Like Roco, Lacson refuses to attend any presidential debate unless Mrs. Arroyo is present. The President, for her part, has declined to attend the presidential debate because Poe would not be there.

Poe has stood pat on his position that he would not join any presidential debate because he sees such activities as "divisive."

"We continue to hope and be optimistic that they will attend the debate," Tamayo said. "It’s their moral and political obligation to the Filipino people as candidates."

PPCRV officials have prepared a special format for the presidential candidates who do show up at the debate. Each candidate will be given three constructive speeches on economic, political and social issues.

After each constructive speech, other candidates will be given the chance to interpellate or rebut the speaker’s premises and, "in this way, we can see the clash of their ideas," Sorida said.

Unlike the format of the first debate, there will be no panel of reactors and the debate will be attended by guests invited specially for the occasion by the PPCRV.

Journalists will also be given a special room in which they can watch the debate.

"We want to prevent heckling from the audience, so we had to separate the media," Sorida said.

Organized as part of the Comelec’s voters’ education program, the debate was structured to unveil the candidates’ consciences, competence, character, motives and ability to discern right from wrong.— With Sheila Crisostomo and Jose Aravilla