Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, Oct. 26 pushed for the holding of face-to-face presidential debates which he said is far better than conducted online.
Last May, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is eyeing holding a hybrid form of presidential debates for the upcoming May 2022 elections as it seeks to adjust to the “new normal” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the standard bearer of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) Pimentel faction said he prefers that the debates are done personally.
“Dapat (it should be) face-to-face, para magkaalaman...Mas maganda personal, huwag yung (so it would be known...it’s better personal and not) online,” Pacquiao said in an interview during is visit to Baguio City.
“Bakit online? Ano, natatakot sila? Sinasabi ko sa inyo... di ako papasok dito kung hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko (Why online? Are they scared. I’m telling you...I am not entering this fight without knowing what to do),” Pacquiao also said.
“Wala ako tinatago, sincere naman ako. Wala akong kailangan paghandaan na baka itanong itong bagay na ito, na tinatago ko...walang ganun (I have nothing to hide. I’m sincere. I have nothing to prepare in case I am asked certain questions or if I am hiding something),” he said.
Pacquiao said he will only highlight during the presidential debates his platforms that are centered on economic growth and development, employment, healthcare, livelihood, housing and anti-corruption drive.
“Una kong ipe present, paano lilinisin itong gobyerno natin... at yung gusto ko na linisin sa corruption dahil yan ang pinaka cancer sa bansa natin (I will present my programs on how I plan to cleanse our government. I want to cleanse it from corruption because that is the cancer destroying our country),” Pacquiao stressed.