Pacquiao urges Comelec: Do not give out debate questions, topics in advance

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Manny Pacquiao, a canddiate for president, urged the Commission on Elections Sunday to reconsider isending candidates topics and questions in advance of the official face-to-face debates.

In a statement sent to reporters, Pacquiao, who is running under PROMDI, reminded the Comelec that its mandate is not only to ensure an honest and clean election but also to provide the electorate the avenue to make the right decision, saying presidential candidates who shun public debates and refuse to be subjected to full public scrutiny are obviously not ready to lead the country.

“You run for president and then you ask for the questions [in advance?] You must be ready for the questions because you are running for President of the Philippines. You must not be selective for the question because when you are running for President of the Philippines; as much as possible, all questions can be asked of you because you are applying to be the leader of the country. You have to be open to all the questions, not the ones you choose,” Pacquiao told reporters at a media briefing at one of his sorties in Pangasinan.

“You are running for president, you must be ready to face the questions that may be thrown at you. You should be ready to answer not just the questions you will already know. That's difficult," he also said, adding that withholding advance questions allows the electorate to truly get a sense of the "purity" of candidates' intention in seeking the presidency.

Asked about candidates who might ask that they receive advance questions and topics before agreeing to join face-to-face debates, Pacquiao said that media debates are "meant to provide the people an informed choice about their candidates, the quality of their leadership, and their style of governance."

“It's probably so they won't make mistakes and they can study their answers. But the question is better asked on-the-spot so they are surprised. You can see the purity of what is in their hearts, whether it is real or not? I'm not asking for advance questions. I'm ready but there are those, right? There should be no demand. If it's a surprise, then it's a surprise,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.

Pacquiao said that the people should not entrust the future of the nation to candidates who refuse to participate in simple debates because they will take no responsibility for their actions. He said these candidates have no intention to serve the public good and are only driven by their greed for wealth and power.

'If they're already scared of debates, how about winning the presidency?...But they have the right not to attend the debate. But the people want to know your platform, your plan for them, your plan for the people, your plan for the country for the future," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said that these days, it is easier for the public to demand a performance audit on their leaders because every promise they make are now recorded digitally and can be easily accessed by the public. "Every interview is recorded now and it will still be there after ten years," he said. — Franco Luna with a report from Gaea Katreena Cabico