Isko Moreno says candidates have right to request debate format

Presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno on Tuesday said it is the right of candidates to request for debate format.

“Karapatan naman nila ‘yun, karapatan nila ‘yun. I respect their views,” Moreno said in an ambush interview prior to his courtesy call with Malabon Mayor Antolin ‘Lenlen’ Oreta III at the city hall.

“Basta tayo, diretso tayo sa tao. Sa tao lang tayo,” Moreno added.

(That is their right. I respect their views. But we will go straight to the people.)

However, Moreno said debates are not “graded recitations.”

“So kung nag-a-upgrade ka ng trabaho, pag humaharap ka sa employer mo, in this case taumbayan, sasagutin ko 'yung mga katanungan,” he said.

(So if you want to get hired, if you face your employer, in this case the people, then you should answer the questions.)

“Hndi naman siya graded recitation eh. Kumbaga let your employer hire you based on your merits, answers, vision, aspirations, plan, and so on and so forth,” he added.

(It’s not a graded recitation. You should let your employer hire you based on your merits, answers, visions, aspirants, plan, and so on and so forth.

Presidential candidate and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has received backlash after his camp requested a meeting with the Commission on Elections and other candidates to discuss the format, among others, of the poll body-sponsored debate.

Further, Moreno said he never asked for any information regarding the debates except the rules .

“You can ask CNN. We never, we’ve been with other stations also, that includes GMA, ABS-CBN, hindi kami nanghihingi ng mga ano. Ang hinihingi namin 'yung rules kasi 'yun 'yung gusto namin sundin,” he said.

(You can ask CNN. We never, we’ve been with other stations also, that includes GMA, ABS-CBN, we don’t ask for anything. What we ask for are the rules because we want to follow that.)—AOL, GMA News