MANILA, Philippines - “These networks should get their act together. It’s time for a big debate.”

Less than a month to Election Day, youth-based organization Youth Vote Philippines is calling for the three major television networks -- ABS-CBN, GMA Network, and TV5 -- to jointly organize a presidential debate forum to further the quality of discourse of the issues.

Niel Lim, Youth Vote Philippines media liaison officer, said in an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com that a “one-time, big-time debate” would benefit not just the presidential candidates, but also the public as well.

Lim raised the idea after most candidates backed out of ABS-CBN’s “Harapan: The Tandem Presidential Debate” last month, leaving Sen. Richard Gordon and Bayani Fernando (Bagumbayan-VNP) and Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Perfecto Yasay (Bangon Pilipinas) to debate.

READ: 'HARAPAN' Tandem Debate cancelled

Lim agreed with Lakas-KAMPI-CMD presidential candidate, former Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro, who said he pulled out of “Harapan” because he was already over-exposed in debates and forums and they were becoming repetitive.

Fairer coverage, discussion

“It’s all the same thing. The problem with our debates is that they are becoming a huge, double-edged sword for the candidates. The debates are disorganized and conducted messily,” Lim said.

“Debates have become purely one-issue sectoral forums, where candidates simply present their platforms and articulate their agenda over and over again. It’s good to be platform-based, but we have to go further than that.”

Lim noted that the overall enthusiasm for presidential debates was one of the highest in recent election years, and started as early as last year. But interest in the debates faded quickly when the audience perceived them to be “more of the same.”

In addition to ABS-CBN’s “Harapan,” GMA 7 has held “Isang Tanong,” while TV5 had “Pagbabago 2010,” their own versions of the presidential debate.

Lim pointed that a single presidential debate would result to better coverage and discussion of the issues, since the television networks would not be dividing the forum for discussion.

“If the debate is scheduled and covered by all major networks and publications, during a similar time slot, say, during primetime (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) at least it would be a shared risk that would be carried by these stations,” he explained. “I guess that’s part of the media’s duty to the public.”

Sharper arguments, pointed questions

Television networks and publications alike are motivated by corporate interests and competitive instincts, thus limiting coverage to their respective presidential debates, Lim said.

Lim also explained that in a joint-network debate, the way the moderators handled discussion may also contribute to its success or failure.

“Moderators shouldn’t be afraid to ask pointed questions of the candidates. There also must be room for real argumentation among the candidates. The closest thing we had to candidates actually clashing was during “Harapan: The Vice Presidential Debate,” but that’s not really saying much since some candidates resorted to personal attacks,” he said.

He believes that instead of shunning this kind of debate, the presidential candidates will more likely embrace the idea of a debate sponsored by ABS-CBN, GMA 7, and TV5, even if some haven’t been to keen on joining debates in the past.

“The candidates will go for that. They won’t refuse exposure on the Big Three (ABS-CBN, GMA 7, and TV5). If they are able to get at least the two top presidential contenders, Sen. Benigno Aquino III (Liberal Party) and Sen. Manuel Villar, Jr. (Nacionalista Party), then the others may follow.”

Relevant questions

If such a presidential debate pushes through, Lim assured that Youth Vote Philippines would actively encourage the presidential bets to join, as well as contribute questions that they deem relevant to the discussion, such as the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) -- Youth Vote Philippines’ advocacy.

On various social media on the Internet, the clamor is strong for the different television networks to hold more presidential debates, especially if running-mates are featured.

“Please give the people the right to choose. No cover-ups… ituloy ang debatye. Walang atrasan,” said Monica Anne Dela Cruz on the Facebook group “Petition for GMA-7 or TV5 to have a Presidential & VP Tandem Debate!”

VISIT: Petition to PURSUE ABS-CBN’s HARAPAN Tandem Debate (Facebook.com)
VISIT: Petition for GMA-7 or TV5 to have a Presidential & VP Tandem Debate! (Facebook.com)

The burden also exists for ABS-CBN to follow-up on its “Harapan” installments.

'Cowards'

On the abs-cbnNEWS.com Facebook page, Jose Julia Pornelosa called the presidentiables “cowards” who were fearful of the Wireless Audience Response System (WARS), the real-time surveying system employed to determine the live audience’s response to the candidates’ believability.

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“Hindi naman yun nakamamatay,” Pornelosa posted on the Facebook group’s Wall.

“This is what the youth has been waiting for, the ‘Harapan’ Tandem Debate. It’s disappointing they (the presidential candidates) backed out.” Jadee Mariz Alejandro stated in Filipino on the “Petition to PURSUE ABS-CBN’s HARAPAN Tandem Debate" Facebook page.

“Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw maraming dahilan,” she said.