Lakas to Noynoy: Debate with Gibo, too

MANILA, Philippines -  The administration Lakas-Kampi party pleaded with Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noy-noy” Aquino III to also debate with their candidate, former defense secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

Lakas-Kampi lawmakers made the appeal after Aquino challenged his principal rival, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., to a one-on-one debate on wide-ranging issues.

Villar, in a reaction yesterday, said he would gladly accede to Noynoy’s challenge if the intention was to “present plans and programs of government to the general public,” and not to mudsling.

“Name the place, name the time, I will be there. If, however, it is the intention of anyone – individual or party – to find a platform or senseless argumentation and mudslinging with the hope of calling attention unto oneself, then I will have to decline,” Villar said.

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez took a swipe at Aquino yesterday, saying he should “not use his popularity as basis for choosing who should participate in political debates.”

“Survey ratings have nothing to do in considering who will debate with whom. It’s not like boxing, where only top contenders can fight,” he said.

He said among all presidential aspirants, it is Teodoro who has been shining in most political symposiums.

“Teodoro got an overwhelming support from academe and business groups,” he added.

Another Lakas member, Rep. Pedro Romualdo of Ca-miguin, said Aquino should not be choosy on who he would tackle issues with.

“If he is raring to debate, then he must have the guts to go up against Gibo, not just Villar,” he said.

For his part, Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan said the fact that Aquino is leading in all presidential surveys does not give him the privilege to be selective.

“He should be humble,” he said, adding it is the tail-ender in surveys “who has the moral right to challenge those leading the pack, not the other way around.”

Aquino dared Villar to a one-on-one debate after the LP candidate and six other presidential aspirants appeared before foreign news correspondents.

Villar did not attend the forum as he was on his way to Manila from Hong Kong.

Aquino and Teodoro are cousins. They have vowed not to resort to personal attacks against each other.

Noynoy welcomes Villar’s acceptance to debate

Aquino welcomed yesterday Villar’s acceptance of his challenge to a one-on-one debate and called for a meeting of representatives from both camps to iron out details of the event.

The senator from Tarlac earlier lamented that the formats for previous presidential debates had constraints that didn’t allow a candidate to “go beyond the sound bite.”

A one-on-one debate, Aquino said, would give voters the opportunity to compare their platforms and allow both candidates to elaborate on their positions on key governance issues. He said the meeting would focus on the venue, date, format, and other details of the debate.

“I think it’s time to end the proxy war. This would give Senator Villar a chance to do what he wasn’t able to do on the Senate floor: take direct questions regarding the Senate’s findings on the C-5 deal and other issues that have remained unanswered by him,” he said.

Aquino also said he was open to shed light on Villar’s allegations on the Hacienda Luisita controversy and his family’s alleged violations of farmers’ rights.

Aquino said that he also hoped they would discuss their stand on education reforms, taxes, electoral campaign finance reform, foreign policy issues like the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, food security, and constitutional amendments.

Aquino has not ruled out the possibility of including former President Joseph Estrada and Teodoro in the debate but would like to start with Villar.       – With Aurea Calica