The Commission on Elections (Comelec) gave presidential as well as vice presidential candidates until Friday noon, April 29 to confirm their participation in the poll body's PiliPinas Forum 2022.
In a message sent to reporters on Thursday, April 28, Comelec Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said that candidates requested until "tomorrow lunch" to fix their schedules which was approved by the Commission En Banc.
"Until noon tom. Last and final extension," Garcia told reporters.
So far, according to Garcia, four presidential and three vice presidential candidates have already confirmed to take part in the panel interview.
While some of the candidates' campaign teams have already expressed that they will not participate in the panel interview, Garcia said they are still hoping that they would since they have not formally communicated with Comelec.
"Umaasa pa rin tayo (We are still hoping) that all of them will convey their intention to participate in our forum," Garcia stated.
An interview format for presidential and vice presidential candidates will be conducted in place of the postponed concluding event of the PiliPinas Debates 2022 Series after the Comelec signed an Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).
The shift occurred after the poll body's private partner, Impact Hub Manila, encountered financial issues with the venue of the PiliPinas Debates 2022, the Sofitel Hotel, in Pasay City.
The new event, called the PiliPinas Forum 2022 will be conducted instead "in order to give the electorate the opportunity to hear, directly from the candidates themselves, their plans for the Presidency and the Nation" in partnership with the KBP. KBP is a non-government, non-profit organization of the broadcast media in the Philippines.
Regardless of the number of participants, Garcia said that they will proceed with the forum.
Airing of the interviews will be from 10 in the morning to 12 noon from May 2 to 6, 2022. The order of airing shall be determined by the drawing of lots.