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Tampus, Mary Grace G.

LLB124A (Legal Research)

LLB-1, EH409MC

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE:

A REQUIREMENT AND NOT AN OPTION

In every democratic country, election process is very important for it will determine the person

or persons who will represent and be expected to carry out the welfare and the interests of the

countrys citizens. It is therefore important for every citizen to be crucial and be elaborately

censorious in making an informed and wise decision in electing the person or persons who will

have the reins in steering the country to progress and development and as to upholding the

general interests of the citizenry.

Therefore, in every election period it is important that every citizen will scrutinize every

electoral candidate to governmental positions, specifically to scrutinize the platforms laid out by

the said candidates since it serves as their link to their promise to the citizens that they will

uphold the principles of good governance and rule of law. More importantly, people have to be

critical in scrutinizing those candidates vying for the most coveted position: the presidential

position. To enable citizens to be censorious on the intent of the candidates through their

platforms, we have the whole election process which consists of: political campaigns, political

talks, political rallies, political advertisements and televised debates providing candidates to lay

down their beliefs as well as their plans for the country.1

In the Philippines, however, all election activities except political debate is adopted. It is only

the political activity in the election process that has not been practiced specifically presidential

debates to this date. Although we have a history of one presidential debate during the 1992

elections but thats it, no other presidential debates held after. Now that May 2016 elections is

fast approaching, there are some movements as to bringing back presidential debates through

Republic Act 9006 or the Free and Fair Elections Act allowing Commission on Elections

(COMELEC) to require national television and radio networks to sponsor presidential and vice-

presidential debates.2

However is it sufficient enough to invite the presidential candidates to the

said debates? How about when they refuse to participate? How then will the citizens scrutinize

the said candidate when attending to such event is only optional and not obligatory?

Which is why the main focus of this paper is to discuss on the importance of presidential debates

to be incorporated in the election process activities here in the Philippines not only to make it

optional or voluntary participation of the aspiring candidates rather to make it obligatory through

the passage of the Presidential Debate Bill as introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

To fully discuss and tackle on the topic, this paper will talk on (1) a brief discussion on the

history of presidential debates juxtaposing it to its history here in the Philippines, (2) its

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influence and effect to countries utilizing it, and (3) application of presidential debate in the

Philippine setting.

PROVENANCE OF PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

Presidential Debates were actually born American. Sufficing to say, it was said to have actually

started during 1858 in Illinois with Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas as well as with

Wendell Wilkie versus Franklin Roosevelt though it has been reported that it happened two years

before the men actually started running as president through the provision of Communications

Act of 1934 requiring national candidates to have an equal exposure in the media.

The next presidential debate happened on 1948 which marked the beginning on broadcasted

presidential debates which was a radio transmission debate with Thomas Dewey and Harold

Strassen in Oregon. The first televised presidential debate was held on 1956 between Estes

Kefauver and Aldai Stevenson. It was only in 1960 where presidential debates were formally

acknowledged and it was a televised presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F.

Kennedy upon the belief of both candidates that it will increase their exposure to gain the favor

of the Americans through a televised face-off debate for four times. In the said debates, they

discussed the most controversial issues. However, no televised presidential debates were held

during 1964, 1968, and 1972 elections. It finally made a comeback in 1976 between the then

incumbent President Gerald Ford and Governor Jimmy Carter where they debated on domestic

issues and an international policy and since then it has been made customary to hold presidential

elections in the United States during elections.3

Juxtaposing the history of presidential debates into the Philippine setting, our history of it lies on

the 1992 presidential elections between Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Juan Ponce Enrile, Imelda

Marcos, and Santiago Dumlao who were the only present candidates for the said debate. It was

the only presidential debate held in the Philippines since it was not preceded anymore up until

now where movements spear-headed by the COMELEC on the grounds of exacting

accountability among presidential candidates of their campaign promises.

INFLUENCES AND EFFECTS ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

A presidential debate is a rhetorical event with candidates as contestants discussing and arguing

on salient opposing propositions to gain the viewers or the audiences adherence.4 These debates

have actually became a compulsory exercise to some western countries and have now even

influenced the Eastern countries such as Indonesia and South Korea in holding the said event to

provide an effective political communication. Presidential debating has effectively spread across

countries which has been used as a tool in determining the most effective candidate by the

citizens as electorates and by the candidates as an avenue to persuade the citizens to vote for

them. It is the political event which provides a good avenue for citizens to assess the character as

well as the competency in resolving questions which are of transcendental importance or to

simply put, the salient issues which are of great importance to the society. It does not mean

however that this rhetorical event is an efficient and sole assessment to a candidates character.

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This paper rather simply suggests that holding presidential debates is an effective means of

filtering out candidates thoughts and ideas over an important issue and if such ideas are of worth

to the audiences who are to vote for them. It is also a great venue for citizens to clarify certain

platforms of a candidate which might be impossible to do during a political campaign or political

talk which is locally known in the Philippines as miting de avance and it is undeniable also that

upon holding such rhetorical event, the media will take on an important role in the midst of such

events for the audience to compare and contrast among the candidates which is exactly the goal

of holding campaign: to carry across the citizens and of the voting population their message and

their goals for the countrys future.

It has been identified that there are four specific situations in which voters find debates useful: (a)

when at least one of the candidates is relatively unknown, (b) when many voters are undecided,

(c) when the race appears close, and (d) when party allegiances are weak. Voters in a primary

campaign season, therefore, are more likely to be seeking information that introduces them to

potentially unknown candidates and information that helps clarify often subtle differences among

primary campaign rivals (Chaffee, 1978).5

A specific effect of holding presidential debates is for the citizens to gain assurance as well as to

confirm the citizens preference over a certain candidate of their choice. It has been held that one

primary reason why a citizen watches a presidential debate is to cheer for who they are already

rooting for. It has been an avenue for citizens to be assured that they have made the right choice

in supporting such candidate. It increases issue knowledge and additionally influence perception

of a candidates character. In some cases though, it may lead for a citizen to alter his/her

perceptions over a candidate which may lead him/her in changing the candidate he/she will

support for. It may be due to the mismatched or clashing principle presented during the debate

which is different from that of the viewing citizen.

Political debates also reinforce the opinions of citizens. Not only does it confirm a citizens

preference of candidates but it also reinforce a citizens voting behavior. It arouses an interest to

citizens watching the said political debates into immersing into a political discussion or discourse

among the other citizens and increase the interest and participation in the voting process which

may then reduce political cynicism. It can then be concluded that the aim of political debates

revolve mainly to encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote. It also helps those citizens

who are undecided on who to vote to make a decision based from ones assessment of candidates

in the debates. Similarly, several studies have been conducted which gave results stating that

exposure to candidates televised debates positively affects citizens' democratic attitudes and

behaviors. It was positively concurred that debate viewing also may activate a number of latent

civic and democratic tendencies, including enhancing citizens sense of political efficacy,

interest on the ongoing campaign and likelihood of voting; and encouraging citizens to seek

additional campaign information following debate viewing and greater participation in a

campaign through activities such as talking to others about preferred candidates. It may not

specifically alter the voting preference but then again the goal of every election process is to

engage every citizen to participate in it which is considerably also the main effect of conducting

presidential debates. In the United States, from which the presidential debates originate, it has

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been shown that such debates are actually not game changers however, it encourages the

American citizens to initiate discourse among one another through post-debate analysis. In

Indonesia however, the question as to when the presidential debates will be held is of prime

importance as it may efficiently affect peoples voting preference.

Over-all, although it may not alter specifically on the voting preference or that the presidential

debates may not prove to be an effective game changer, holding presidential debates proves to be

an effective tool in generating political discourse and citizen participation in the electoral process

in the countries who adopt presidential debates.

JUXTAPOSING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES IN THE PHILIPPINE SETTING

Philippines is said to be the loudest democracy in Southeast Asia and trails of evidence of such

title is based on political campaigns held during election period where it has been likened to that

of a fiesta where campaigns utilized by political parties consist of plastering colorful campaign

paraphernalia and political parties with singing candidates. In the modern times, the same

methods and efforts are practiced by political parties as well as those independent candidates and

it has now invaded the media. From Villars Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura to Aquinos

Daang Matuwid, Philippine campaigning revolves on catchy song tunes and witty taglines with

the aim of probably to become a household name. In political talks or as locally known miting de

avance of political parties, there is dancing and singing and to attract more audience a celebrity

is dragged into the scene which may lead into the conclusion that Philippine campaigning banks

on familiarity and popularity for Filipinos to vote for them. Through these types of campaigning

it may be noticed from a glance that candidates who have bigger budget than other candidates

also have a bigger chance in winning most especially in the modern times. Candidates promoted

themselves on television and radio and since it was seen as that being unfair to those candidates

who dont have a big budget to fund for campaigning, Free and Fair Elections Act (RA 9006)

came into view where it required broadcasting companies to allocate Comelec Time and Space

for candidates to promote themselves.

However, with all of these political advertisements in which the goal is mostly on familiarization

these methods of campaigning are not effective campaign methods. If candidates utilize such

methods in campaigning, how then will the citizens exact accountability for the candidates once

they are elected into office? If the candidates wants to be voted as well as to gain the trust from

the citizens then it would be better if we incorporate political debates into the election process

with the aim of filtering candidates as to who can really be that candidate who can provide the

interests of the society as well as bring the country to development.

This paper wants to offer a lot of reasons as to why presidential debates needs to be incorporated

into Philippine campaigning, however, this paper will specifically provide at least three reasons:

(1) Promote fair campaigning, (2) engage Filipino citizens in political discourse and to increase

voting participation, and to empower the right of Filipino citizens to information on matters of

public concern.

Fair Campaigning

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Televised political advertisements are now becoming one of the most popular campaign methods

used by politicians however it becomes disadvantageous to other candidates especially those who

dont have grand budget for campaigning. Although RA 9006 is being implemented to allocate Comelec Time for candidates to equally campaign with the rest of the candidates, it is still not enough considering that some candidates have better campaigning artillery than others. It is

inevitable that parties may be categorized into weak and strong parties and with Philippines traditional campaigning methods it would be easy to determine who will win on campaigns since

in an environment with weak parties and a volatile public opinion, any politician with popularity

and money can easily campaign their way to success. Therefore, if presidential debates is to be

incorporated into Philippine campaigning methods then it would be a fairer method of

campaigning since popularity will not matter if a candidate will not be able to lay down a

platform worth the audiences attention. Through political debates, the citizens will be able to compare and contrast the candidates, especially those of presidential candidates, on who has a

better insight in resolving an issue. Through this, the citizens will gain an insight as to the

aspirant candidates character as well as critical thinking.

Filipino voter participation, discourse and assertion of the right to information on matters of

public concern

Political cynicism has marred Philippine politics. Filipinos nowadays believe that the politicians

elected to governmental positions are all corrupt from the lowest to the highest position most

especially with the highest position which is that of the President. Rallies and picketing abound

asking the President from position and such to step down from their posts with reasons saying

that the person elected in said position is corrupt and such. There are even a lot of Filipinos who

express their disinterest to Philippine politics saying that the Government is swarmed with

corrupt politicians and that it is hopeless to hope that there is change. Who do you think then is

to be blamed with electing a President inefficient in the eyes of the Filipino? Its none other than

the Filipino people themselves who voted for that president. Now with the upcoming Philippine

elections, it is better for the citizens to properly and as wisely as they can to vote for candidates

of good reputation and of high level of competency in governing most especially of that of the

Presidential position so that there will be no regrets later. Instead of just basing reasons of voting

such and such candidates to governmental positions through advertisement campaigns and of

popular jingles, it would be better for the Filipino electorates to be as wise and as informed as

they can this time which is why this paper vehemently suggests of presidential debates to take

place this upcoming elections.

Yes, the COMELEC has made efforts in making presidential debates happen but what about the

next elections? More importantly, conducting presidential debates does not assure the Filipino

citizens that every presidential candidate will attend to such event just like what happened during

the 1992 elections where not every candidate participated into the debate. Therefore to ensure

that the Filipino citizens will have the chance to scrutinize the aspirant candidates as well the

candidates platforms, it is urgent and important to not only hold presidential debates but to make

it obligatory to every aspiring candidate to attend to such public discourse in that way, Filipino

people will have the chance to scrutinize, to probe, and to be elaborately censorious in choosing

the candidate to vote for. Moreover, it is actually a right for Filipino citizens to be as critical in

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their choice on who to vote because in the end, they will be the ones who will reap the benefits if

they elect a Presidential candidate who will carry out the welfare and the interests of the whole

Filipino citizenry. Furthermore, Article 3 Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution gives the

Filipinos the right to information on matters of public concern which reinforces the right to

suffrage. A well-informed Filipino voter as to the credentials, competence, and as to the

character of the candidates will be able to carefully choose the candidate who will hopefully

fulfill his campaign promise to the citizens and this is exactly what the Presidential Debate Bill

(Senate Bill no. 1797) hopes to achieve. Through presidential debates or as to political debates

per se, the Filipino citizens will be able to get the right information in choosing their future

leaders. As held in the influences and effects of debates above, holding presidential debates gives

a two-way benefit, not only are the electorates benefited but also the candidates themselves to

clearly relay their message and to have the opportunity to clear the allegations or the doubts

casted by the electorates to them.

CONCLUSION

It is now time for the Filipinos to step up the game of excellently choosing their future leaders. It

is time to abandon the bandwagon voting and independently assess the aspiring candidates most

especially with the candidates who are vying for the presidential position and one way of doing it

is to hold presidential debates not only through optional attendance but through obligatory

attendance to all the candidates where the Filipino citizens can scrutinize and form decisions on

their own on who to vote not because of the influence of family members or of mutual friends or

through ridiculous campaign advertisements but based upon their own judgments.

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REFERENCES:

1 Sanusi, B.O, et.al, Influence of Televised Presidential Debate on the Electoral Performance of

Candidates in the 2011 election in Lagos State

2Dioquino, Rose-an, COMELEC to hold presidential debates in 2016:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/532049/news/nation/comelec-to-hold-presidential-

debates-in-2016

3Tevi, Troy, When and How did Presidential Debates Start:

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/politics/when-and-how-did-presidential-

debates-start.php

4Carlin, Diana Prentice, A Defense of the Debate in Presidential Debates, Journal of the

American Forensic Association Volume 25 (1989)

5 Mckinney, M., & Warner, B. (2013). Do Presidential debates matter? Examining a decade of

campaign debate effects (Vol. 49, pp. 238-258).

6 Isotalus, P. (n.d.). Election Debate is Always News.

7Barbaros, C. (n.d). Exploring Televised Political Debates: Strategies and Issues (pp. 141-148)

8Republic Act 9615: Rules and Regulations Implementing RA 9006

9Eisner, K. (1993). Non-Major Party Candidates and Televised Presidential Debates: The Merits

of Legislative Inclusion (University of Pennsylvania, Vol. 141: 973)

10 Benjamin R. Warner & Mitchell S. McKinney (2013) To Unite and Divide:

The Polarizing Effect of Presidential Debates, Communication Studies, 64:5, 508-527

11

Senate Bill 1797: Presidential Debate Bill

12

Hedman, E., Sidel, J. (2000). Philippine Politics and Society in the Twentieth Century:

Colonial legacies, post-colonial trajectories (Routledge, London and New York)