Fourteen departments of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have submitted their responses to the memorandum issued by poll Commissioner Rey E. Bulay in line with his investigation on the issue of the postponed debates.
Bulay said the poll body has a total of 20 departments, and six of them were not asked to respond to the memo as “the other six departments have no business with regards to the issue.”
He took note that Comelec’s Procurement Management Department or PMD submitted its response, which he tagged as “important” in his investigation.
“Fourteen ito na (departments) na nag-comply. Let me thank them from the bottom of my heart,” he said during a press briefing on Monday, April 25.
“So allow me to study their responses with respect to the queries,” he added.
The poll commissioner said he promised Chairperson Saidamen B. Pangarungan and his colleagues to finish the probe by Friday, April 29, granted that he is given full cooperation by everyone involved.
“By Friday (April 29), magpatawag ulit ako ng press conference tapos (there will be another press conference then) I will make you aware of my findings and recommendation sa (to) en banc. Alam niyo naman, hindi ko lang desisyon pagdating sa course of action that will be taken (As you know, the course of action that will be taken will not solely be my decision),” he told the media.
In a statement released on Saturday, April 23, Impact Hub Manila said the Comelec “is not a party to the contract between Impact Hub Manila and Sofitel.”
The private company said “misunderstanding” led to the postponement of the last leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2022.
On April 22, Garcia announced the postponement of the PiliPinas Debates: 2022, saying there are “unforeseen circumstances that’s impossible for the Commission to proceed with the debate by Saturday and Sunday.”
Comelec said the last leg of the presidential and vice-presidential debates will be reset on April 30 and May 1, but the format will no longer be town hall debates. Instead, the poll body will be adopting "Single Candidate/Team-Panel Interview" format.