Debates as the litmus test

The pre-election fever is going high pitch. And rightly so. From my stand, it should be every Filipino’s concern to look at the field of candidates for the highest positions in the land. As this is a free democracy, we should exercise our right to vote for the leaders of our choice, for those who we think have the interest of the nation at heart. We listen to what commentators and columnists say about the candidates. We determine what is critical thinking, and what is a demolition job.

But we seem to be hearing a Babel of noises, of attacks and counter-attacks, of candidates smashing one another. We cannot really separate the chaff from the grain, the truth-teller from the  moon-promiser.

Then it is time to call the  candidates, particularly the  presidential wannabes, to express themselves in debates for the public to hear whether they are capable of leading this country on the strength of their beliefs and experience, if you will, not on the popularity of their deceased relatives. Nor the bulge of their pocketbooks.

Former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon proposes televised national debates among the candidates.

According to Gordon, the Supreme Court has said that “to achieve the purpose of promoting equality, the right of the public, particularly the voters, to be informed of the issues in an election is paramount.”

The Commission on Elections should require all presidential candidates to participate in “sanctioned” debates to be held in all regions for the 2016 elections as soon as possible. The candidates should answer questions to local and national issues like the lack of power supply in Mindanao, perennial traffic jams and flooding in urban areas, lack of infrastructure and mass transport, inadequate education and health care,  climate change, flagging disaster relief and mitigation, jobs creation, peace and order, and widespread poverty in the provinces. Issues like corruption should be in the agenda.

The Comelec can use the UP school system and other state universities and colleges to host these debates. Law schools, the judiciary and socio-civic organizations can work with the Comelec to set up and administer these debates.

The debates, according to Gordon, will be a “litmus test for the candidates’ qualities and abilities, and will show voters the true measure of the candidates’ qualifications, track record, performance under fire, platforms, and views on pressing issues.”

“The debates will be a crucial step in raising the political maturity of our people and educating our voters to choose their leaders wisely,” says Gordon. “They will also break the current trend for our elections to be decided via the expenditure of many billions of pesos. This practice corrupts the candidates and leaves them vulnerable to privileged or foreign influences that run counter to the national interest.”

Let us hope the Comelec will require the candidates to engage in these debates as soon as they have filed their certificates of candidacy.

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Last July 21,  a “Summit of Consciences for the Climate” was held in Paris, France, bringing together religious, political and cultural leaders, Nobel Peace laureates, former UN leaders, humanitarian and environmental activists. Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate committee on climate change and UN Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, was the lone Philippine delegate.

The summit aimed to foster the “mobilization of conscience on a global scale” to bring about real and lasting solutions to climate change. It intended to bring the climate change issue to a personal level, asking each individual his/her responsibility and commitment to protect and save our planet.

The summit launched the “Why Do I Care” campaign to encourage each individual to ask this personal question, and to  act based on one’s conscience.

During the summit, Senator  Legarda declared her commitment to “initiate and launch in all the cities and municipalities, barangays, and state universities and colleges all over the country” a summit of conscience for the climate.

The delegates signed the Call to Conscience for the Climate, which will be presented to each head of delegation at the COP 21 in Paris this December.

Accordingly, the  Senate committee on climate change, in cooperation with the Climate Change Commission, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the French Embassy in Manila, will hold its own summit of conscience for the climate on October 9, Friday, at  9 a.m. at the Senate.

The summit aims to raise the consciousness of Filipinos that climate change is a personal issue affecting every citizen, and to challenge each one to act arising from one’s individual conscience. According to Senator Legarda, “Climate change is perhaps the greatest challenge that human beings face in this era, which demands changes in values, beliefs and ways of living, to do what is right and good for the environment.’’

The activity will gather leaders and representatives across sectors, i.e. faith-based organizations, civil society, the academe and national government agencies, to ponder on the questions “Why do I care?” and “How do I show that I care”? It will elicit personal stories, beliefs and commitments in protecting and saving our planet.

Friday’s  event will be the first of a series of similar summits to be held in different parts of the country. At each summit, participants will sign the Call to Conscience for the Climate.

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My congratulations to Dr. Lily Rosqueta Rosales, former UP education dean, who will be honored by the Holy Child Colleges of Butuan City during an  International Scientific Forum and  Workshop (October 13-15),  with the launching of the Dr. Lily Rosqueta Rosales Scholarship Grant. In his letter to the well-known and respected educator, Dr. Rodulfo P. Esteves, HCCB founder and president,  mentioned  Dr. Rosales’ contribution to counselor education in the Philippines and overseas.  The scholarship grant will be made available to those pursuing a master of arts in guidance, and eventually, also to students from the ASEAN countries.

Dr. Rosqueta-Rosales has served the counseling profession in numerous capacities as president of the Philippine Guidance and Personnel Association, the Philippine chapter of the American Association for Counseling and Development, as well as the first overseas president of the Iota Phi Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota.

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