Vice-presidential aspirant Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan has formally committed to joining the Commission on Elections' (Comelec's) series of debates beginning March 20.
In signing the "Commitment Form," Pangilinan has agreed to comply with all the Comelec's terms of the debates, formally known as "The Pilipinas Debates 2020: The Turning Point."
"I look forward to meeting and debating again with the other vice-presidential candidates," Pangilinan said, who just returned to Manila on Sunday, after spending four days barnstorming the Caraga Region, the island-province of Negros, the Cagayan Province, and Isabela Province.
Pangilinan signed the Commitment Form on March 10.
Vice Presidential aspirant Senator Kiko Pangilinan to attend Comelec's Pilipinas Debates @manilabulletin pic.twitter.com/Z8rLYxjpkF
— Argyll Cyrus Geducos (@argyllcyrus_MB) March 14, 2022
Starting March 15, Pangilinan is scheduled to join the Team Robredo-Pangilinan campaign sorties in various parts of the country and then fly back to Manila for the Comelec debate.
"Ang vice-presidential debates ay paraan ng panliligaw sa mga botante (The vice-presidential debates is a way of wooing the voters)," he said.
"Kailangan kang magpakita at sagutin ang mga tanong. Kailangan ng isang kandidato na ipaliwanag kung bakit sa kanya dapat mapunta ang matamis na ‘oo’ ng kanyang nililigawan (You need to show up and answer the questions. A candidate must explain why he should get the votes)," Pangilinan added.
In his previous political speeches in various sorties, Pangilinan narrated to the participants how he wooed Sharon's father and mother-- former Pasay Mayor Pablo Cuneta and Elaine Gamboa-Cuneta.
"Noong nililigawan ko si Sharon, kinailangan kong magpakita kina Mayor Ambo at Mommy Elaine upang ipaliwanag ang aking intensyon sa kanilang anak (When I was courting Sharon, I needed to face Mayor Ambo and Mommy Elaine and explain to them my intentions to their daughter)," he said.
"Ganyan dapat ang gawin ng lahat ng mga kandidato-- Ipakita ang kanila intensyon sa kanilang nililigawan (That's what a candidate must do-- make their intentions known to the people they are wooing)," he added.
The Comelec debates are not the first debate Pangilinan would be joining. He also participated in the CNN-UST vice-presidential debate last February 27 at the University of Santo Tomas.