Firm says debate debt mess a ‘misunderstanding’

MANILA, Philippines — The private firm tapped by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to supervise the logistical and technical requirements for its presidential and vice presidential debates yesterday said its failure to pay P14 million to debate venue Sofitel Plaza stemmed from “some misunderstandings” and “miscommunication.”

The failure of Impact Hub Manila to settle the P14-million balance for the use of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila as debate venue has prompted Comelec to postpone to next weekend the televised final round of debates.

The live debates were originally scheduled for yesterday and today.

In a statement prepared by its lawyers Eirene Jhone Aguila and Gideon Peña, Impact Hub also clarified that the Comelec was not a party to its agreement with Sofitel. It declined to discuss details.

“While there have been incomplete reports as to the cause of the miscommunication, Impact Hub Manila will refrain from publicly divulging these matters and will endeavor to discuss them with Sofitel and other stakeholders privately,” it said.

“Unfortunately, the initiative between the two private companies encountered some misunderstandings,” it said, referring to its contract with Sofitel concerning the Comelec-initiated “PiliPinas Debates 2022: The Turning Point.”

Impact Hub stressed that it “does not wish to sidetrack the public from what truly matters.”

“It does not matter where the debates will be held. It only matters that the debates still be held. The public should have more opportunities to know the platform, background and credentials of those running for public office,” it added.

Impact Hub Manila is also the private partner of the Comelec for its voter registration and other election-related activities.

In light of the controversy, Comelec Commissioner Rey Bulay wants the spokesman of the poll body James Jimenez and two other officials to explain by tomorrow why they had pushed for the release of P15 million for the staging of the debates.

“If Comelec releases P15,000,000 of public funds, Comelec will be wrongly covering up Impact Hub’s liability, as Comelec will be paying on behalf of Impact Hub. I also discovered that there is such a thing as ‘counterpart’ money that Comelec will pay Impact Hub,” Bulay said in an internal memorandum obtained by The STAR.

In his memorandum, Bulay said he wanted “honest and clear explanations” from Jimenez and executive director Bartolome Sinocruz, deputy executive director Teopisto Elnas Jr., deputy executive director for administration Helen Aguila-Flores and diretor III Frances Aguindadao-Arabe of the Education and Information Department to explain. Bulay also sought the “release of all relevant documents” related to the Impact Hub-Sofitel issue.

Jimenez said he is ready to meet the Monday deadline set by Bulay while Aguindadao-Arabe said that she would have to study the memo first.

“The memorandum has set a deadline for the response it demands, and I – as well as all other recipients of the memorandum – fully intend to meet that deadline. Just as importantly, due deference to the Honorable Commissioner dictates that any response I make should be made to him, first and foremost,” Jimenez said in a Viber message.

Bulay, in his memo, emphasized that Comelec-sponsored debates should be done without any expense from the poll body.

“Thus, for any release of public funds on this matter, I vehemently object as it would be criminal,” he added.

He also lamented that it was only last Friday that the officials brought up the matter.

Bulay also revealed that Jimenez wrote a letter dated April 1 to Sofitel, assuring the hotel that the Comelec would be “the source of funding for the three remaining events.”

Bulay also asked why Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan and Commissioner Socorro Inting were allowed to sign purchase requests for the release of Comelec funds to Impact Hub.

“Since the Comelec debates are supposed to be free as promised to all of Filipinos, why did this ‘counterpart money’ and P15,000,000 cover up money suddenly surface? Where is the contract for this ‘counterpart money’ and ‘P15,000,000 cover up money?” Bulay asked.