Poe, Lapid say they will not take part in public debates

Count Senator Grace Poe and former senator Lito Lapid out of the senatorial hopefuls who will bite the debate challenge.                                                 

The two top contenders for the Magic 12 said on Wednesday they would rather go directly to the provinces to campaign among the voters than attend debates.

Both Poe and Lapid are running as independents.

The opposition coalition Otso Diretso has challenged the administration candidates under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) to face them in a public debate to allow the public to hear their platform and agenda.  No one from the HNP bets showed up in the debate organized by Otso Diretso at Plaza Miranda in Manila on February 25.

“Kung may tanong kayo, diretso naman ninyo akong natatanong. Noong 2016, marami na rin akong nasalihang debate, siguro maganda rin naman na umikot ako dahil mas diretsong nakakatanong ang ating mga kababayan," Poe said in an terview on the sidelines of her Zambales visit.

Sa debate kasi, iyon mga nando’n lang ang nakakatanong, ito puwede akong tanungin, kahit sa mga university, diretso ang mga tanong sa amin,” Poe added.

Lapid said he never took part in any public debate in his two terms as senator.

“Hindi na, dalawang beses na akong naging senador, pero ‘di ako sumasali sa mga debate. Alam mo naman palaging tinitira sa akin ang edukasyon,” Lapid, who joined Poe in a public market visit in Iba town, said.

Poe added: "Importante ang edukasyon pero sabi ko nga, ang pagkatao rin ang mas importante. Ang Senado ay dapat representasyon ng lahat ng klaseng tao. Hindi natin puwedeng uriin na kailangan nakatapos ka, kailangan abogado ka. Ang importante, ano bang puwede mong maitulong at magawa, ‘yun ang sanang maging basehan.”

It was the first time that Poe and Lapid joined forces to hold provincial sorties. They said the public could expect them to campaign in other areas.

“Magiging magkasama kami, katulad ‘pag mga ganito magkasama kami, pero siyempre may mga iba rin tayong mga re-electionist na nais naming tulungan—at tulungan din kami—kaya sasama din kami sa kanila,” Poe said.

Lapid, who is also an action star like Poe's father, said he was grateful to Poe for sort of “adopting” him in the run up to the midterm elections.

“Unang-una po nagpapasalamat ako kay Sen. Grace Poe kasi ako lang mag-isa, medyo inampon niya muna ako,” Lapid said.

Lapid said he was also willing to take Poe in his bailiwick Pampanga, one of the vote-rich provinces in the country. —LDF, GMA News