Otso Diretso debate dismissed as ‘pagpapasikat’ at Hugpong’s expense

Senatorial candidates endorsed by Sara Duterte's Hugpong ng Pagbabago have defended their decision to skip the supposed debate set by their rivals from the Otso Diretso ticket at the Plaza Miranda on Monday.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said he had nothing to gain from the debate put together by the opposition slate.

“Ayaw naman nating kagatin ‘yung pagpapasikat at our expense. Nothing to gain if ever I win eh. You choose the 12 best among the candidates. This is not a one-on-one race, ” Angara told reporters.

“Kung tutuusin, we are not running for the same position. There are 12 positions. Pagandahan na lang kami ng plataporma,” he added.

Former journalist Jiggy Manicad suggested that a senatorial debate be organized by the Commission on Elections.

“Mas maganda, idaan sa Comelec para ma-require ang lahat,” Manicad said.

The debates among the senatorial candidates have so far been staged by media organizations and schools. These were not sanctioned by the Comelec.

“Anytime naman, haharap kami. Dapat lang alam rin ng lahat [kung paano makakadalo] kasi may kanya kanya ring schedule,” Manicad said.

No negative campaigning

Davao City mayor Sara Duterte who also serves as the Hugpong ng Pagbabago campaign manager denied that Hugpong bets are engaged in negative campaigning even as former Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. constantly claimed they were politically persecuted with plunder charges during the Aquino administration.

Revilla was acquitted of P224 million plunder charges stemming from the pork barrel scam last December. Estrada is out on bail.

Former presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino also repeatedly accused then Liberal Party bet and former Justice secretary Leila de Lima of election fraud that deprived him of a Senate seat.

De Lima beat Tolentino by over a million votes for the 12th and last Senate seat. Tolentino protested de Lima’s victory but withdrew his protest in February to pursue another Senate bid in the 2019 polls.

“Pinakinggan ko naman sila. ‘Di naman sila tumira ng kandidato. Hindi naman kandidato ‘yung tinukoy nila. ‘Yung past administration, hindi naman ‘yung kabilang lineup ng senators,” Duterte said—NB, GMA News