(PNA file photo) MANILA-The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said six presidential aspirants and four vice presidential candidates in the May 9 polls are joining the "PiliPinas Forum 2022" interview series to be aired next week. According to Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, those who confirmed attendance at the event are presidentiables Ernesto Abella, Leody de Guzman, Norberto Gonzales, Faisal Mangondato, Jose Montemayor, and Senator Manny Pacquiao. The vice-presidential bets who are also set to participate in the forum are Rizalito David, Manny Lopez, Senate President Tito Sotto, and Carlos Serapio. "It's the final list," he said in a text message. The Comelec, together with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), will be holding the panel interview sessions set to air from May 2 to 6, 2022. The forum is a series of one-hour panel interview sessions between a single candidate or team of candidates (president and vice-president), to be
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez (Screengrab from Laging Handa briefing) MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it may impose a reasonable sanction on candidates who will skip its debates. "But, the (Comelec) en banc will still study it, the en banc will discuss it and you can hope that when your en banc makes a decision, it will be reasonable and appropriate to the extent that it needs to be adjusted," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday. This came as some groups called on the poll body to impose stiffer penalties on candidates who will not show up at the debates it has organized, aside from banning them from using its online rally platforms. Jimenez, meanwhile, stressed the importance of the debates as an avenue for candidates to share their platforms of government and aspirations for the country and to foster an informed electorate. "Now, to let the candidates know, they will feel that this is an impo