PiliPinas Debates 2016 – Visayas leg

The Visayas leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 is the second presidential debate of the 2016 Philippine elections, held at the Performing Arts Hall of the University of the Philippines in Cebu City on March 20, 2016.[1] It was organized by COMELEC and KBP with TV5, Philippine Star, and BusinessWorld as media partners.

PiliPinas Debates 2016
(Visayas leg)

Date	March 20, 2016 (2016-03-20)
Time	4:30pm - 10:00pm (UTC+8)[note 1]
Duration	119 minutes[note 2]
Venue	Performing Arts Hall, University of the Philippines Cebu College
Location	Cebu City, Philippines
Coordinates	10°19′21″N 123°53′57″E
Type	Televised debate
Organized by	COMELEC KBP TV5 Philippine Star BusinessWorld
Participants	Jejomar Binay Rodrigo Duterte Grace Poe Mar Roxas
Presenter	Luchi Cruz-Valdes (TV5)
Preceded by	Mindanao leg
Succeeded by	Luzon leg

The debate was moderated by News5 chief Luchi Cruz-Valdes, along with panelists Ed Lingao and Lourd de Veyra of News5, Philippine Star editor-in-chief Ana Marie Pamintuan, Philippine Star associate editor Marichu Villanueva, Bloomberg TV Philippines host Atty. Tony Abad and RMN DYHP Cebu commentator Atty. Ruphil Bañoc.[2] The program aired from 4:30pm – 10:00pm (UTC+8) due to delays caused by miscommunication between the camp of Jejomar Binay and moderator Luchi Cruz-Valdez.

Presidential candidate Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago decided to skip this debate to undertake clinical trials on a new anti-cancer drug.[3]

Broadcast and coverage

The debate aired live on TV5, AksyonTV, Bloomberg TV Philippines, Radyo5, KBP-affiliated radio stations nationwide and through the Bilang Pilipino website. As part of the event, TV5 launched the Showt instant online voting platform on the Bilang Pilipino website. Online users were able vote "Yes" or "No" to the candidates of their choice, and had to wait 60 seconds before voting again.[4]

Sign language interpreters were hired for the first time in a Philippines presidential debate.[5]

A live viewing party was organized by TV5 in the Bugsy’s Bar and Bistro in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Social media personalities were present at the event.[6]

Format

The format of the Visayas debate was to be different from the first debate in Mindanao, with a panel discussion for the first half and a one-on-one tossup in the second half.[7] The Commission on Elections said that among the issues and topics to be discussed are climate change, education, women’s rights, and health.[1]

This debate was planned to last one hour longer than the Mindanao leg, for a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes, with just 40 minutes of commercial breaks in response to complaints about the long commercial breaks in the Mindanao leg.[7][8] Candidates also had more time to answer questions posed by the moderators.

Like the previous leg candidates were not allowed to bring notes with them at the podium. Dispute regarding the existence and nature of this rule caused a delay of the debate.[9]

Debate

Rules dispute and delay

The Visayas debate started with a commentary by Cheryl Cosim and Robie Alampay of TV5, lawyer Mel Santa Maria, and Dindo Manhit, a professor from De la Salle University, at 4:30pm (UTC+8) but this was extended by about an hour and a half; viewers of the TV5 broadcast on social media expressed their frustrations through their comments questioning the delay of the debate proper which originally scheduled to start at 5:00pm (UTC+8). The cause of the delay was later made known to the wider public: a dispute regarding the bringing of notes by candidates on the podium.[9]

Binay arrived on stage at 6:05pm (UTC+8) while other candidates were already present. Binay insisted that he should be allowed to bring notes, while Roxas' camp protested. TV5 Network then issued an official public apology for the delay saying that there was a miscommunication between Binay's camp and Luchi Cruz-Valdez. Before the start of the debate proper, Cruz-Valdez said that four or five days before the debate, Toby Tiangco called her to inquire about the rule on behalf of Binay. Unaware of the existence of such a rule regarding the matter, Cruz-Valdez told Tiangco that notes were allowed. The debate proper started at 6:35pm (UTC+8).[9]

The events that transpired on stage during the delay were broadcast by TV5 after the debate proper.[10]

First round

The first round followed a modified panel format, where journalists asked questions to the candidates.

Second round

The candidates were given a chance to ask a question of their choice to another candidates.

Taas-Kamay

In a special segment of the debate dubbed as Taas-Kamay (lit. Hands Up), candidates were asked on issues and whether or not they agreed, signified by raising their hands.[11] Santiago participated in this portion of the debate via Twitter.

Issue	Binay	Duterte	Poe	Roxas	Santiago[note 3]
Legalization of Divorce[14]
Return of Death Penalty[15]
Burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery[11]					N/A

Symposium

A symposium titled "WiseUP Cebu" was held before the debate from around 3:00pm – 5:30pm (UTC+8) on the same day as the debate. Event manager Gregg Loren said that the focus of the event was on the candidates' platforms, relevant priorities and personalities.

The administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos and the party-list system were also subjects at WiseUP Cebu.

An online symposium was conducted on the day of the debate at the UP Cebu Jogging Field and streamed live over the Bilang Pilipino website. The symposium was hosted by TV5 personalities Jun Sabayton and Bea Benedicto.[6]

Reception

Academics

Jan Robert Go, an assistant professor of political science at the University of the Philippines said that the debates ended up as not being platform-based with the participants focused more on "bashing" and "mudslinging". Go said that debates were able to reveal the candidates' characters on how they answered and asked questions. He commented that the delay affected the mood of the debate.[16]

Notes

1. The debate proper was originally scheduled to start at 5:00pm (UTC+8) but was delayed due to a dispute regarding a rule. The debate started at 6:35pm (UTC+8). It was previously reported to supposedly last for two hours and twenty minutes, excluding 60 minutes of advertisements.
2. During the 160 minute broadcast from 6:30pm (UTC+8), 41 minutes were advertisement.This figure excludes the 90 minute delay from 5:00pm (UTC+8), where 3 minutes of time were spent on advertisements.
3. Miriam Santiago, while not physically present at the debate, participated in the Taas-Kamay portion through Twitter.[12] Santiago explained that she supports divorce on the grounds of preventing attempts on the life of a spouse by the other, adultery and/or concubinage, and that she supports the death penalty for drug traffickers while maintaining that the justice system must be improved.[13] There was no tweet retrieved regarding Santiago's view on Marcos' burial. Since she was not technically part of the debate, she was not bound to the no explanation clause of the debate portion.

References

1. Baquero, Elias; Cuizon, Razel (23 February 2016). "Presidential debate, next leg in Cebu". Sun Star Cebu. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
2. "TV5 to host Cebu presidential debate". Interaksyon. March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
3. Mangosing, Frances (March 17, 2016). "Santiago to skip Comelec debate, to try new anti-cancer pill". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
4. "'Showt' Voting Platform para sa #PiliPinasDebates2016 Round 2, Inilunsad ng News5" ['Showt' Voting Platform for Round 2 of #PiliPinasDebates2016, launched by News5] (in Filipino). News5 Everywhere. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
5. Serafica, Raisa (20 March 2016). "Netizens praise sign language interpreters in Cebu presidential debate". Rappler. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
6. "Online conference a prelude to Cebu presidential debate". Interaksyon. March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
7. Villanueva, Marichu (2016-03-12). "Longer time, fewer ads at next debate". Philippine Star.
8. Destacamento, John (2016-03-13). "Cebu debate to last one hour longer". Retrieved 2016-03-14.
9. Naval, Gerard; Hachero, Ashzel (20 March 2016). "Wrangling on Rules Delays Prexy Debate". Malaya Business Insights. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
10. Torres, Rap (21 March 2016). "Despite delay, #PiliPinasDebates2016 still a success". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
11. Corrales, Nestor (March 20, 2016). "Poe, Duterte support death penalty revival". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
12. "LOOK: Presidential candidates' stand on divorce, death penalty, Marcos". CNN Philippines. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
13. "Despite absence, presidential candidate Miriam Defensor-Santiago makes presence felt through social media". CNN Philippines. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
14. Reyes, Ernie (March 20, 2016). "Bets shy away from divorce". Interaksyon. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
15. Reyes, Ernie (March 20, 2016). "Duterte, Poe favor return of death penalty". Interaksyon. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
16. Daguno-Bersamina, Kristine (21 March 2016). "UP prof: Debate failed to draw platform-based arguments". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 21 March 2016.