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Noynoy Aquino still has time to change his mind about not joining the Carlos Romulo Foundation Presidential Policy Debate on January 14.
For the first time in the history of elections in the Philippines, it seems that debates among Presidential aspirants in the Philippines has gained currency among a large audience. Both TV network giants, ABS-CBN and GMA7, have been pouring money into live debates among Presidential aspirants perhaps in response to a clamor from their audiences.
In the coming debate, Presidential candidate Manny Villar will be facing off Gilbert Teodoro and Dick Gordon. This will be the first time that Villar will be doing so. He had begged off from previous debates and some claim that he did so because leading rival Noynoy Aquino wouldn't be joining.
Below is the official announcement from the Romulo Foundation:
Presidential Policy Debate Kicks Off Thursday, January 14 at AIM
The Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development is pleased to announce that the first comprehensive debate on domestic and foreign policy among presidential candidates in the May elections will take place on Thursday, January 14 at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
Sen. Richard Gordon, Sen. Manuel Villar and former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro will participate in the two-hour forum. Two other candidates – former President Joseph Estrada and Sen. Benigno Aquino III – were invited to join the discussion as early as October last year, but they declined.
Organized by the Romulo Foundation in cooperation with ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) and AIM, the forum will focus on the broad theme of "Philippine Credibility and Competitiveness in the World", and seek policy responses from the candidates on five main issues:
1.The Maguindanao massacre and the wider challenge of peace in the Philippine South – If elected President, what policies and programs will the candidate pursue to stop the problem of private armies, resolve the conflict in Mindanao and Sulu, and bring stability and development to the region?
2. Philippine foreign relations and international security – What significance does the candidate attach to Philippine relations with the world, what countries and regions are the most important, and should the nation be involved or not in the international struggle against terrorism?
3. Philippine economy and international economic relations – What policies will the candidate adopt to strengthen and grow the national economy, expand foreign trade and investments, and what importance does he attach to key economic organizations such as WTO, IMF, WB and APEC?
4. Migrant workers – What policies will the candidate adopt with respect to Filipino labor migration, the welfare of OFWs, Philippine relations with labor-receiving countries, and international conventions for the protection and rights of migrant workers?
5. Philippine competitiveness in the world – What specific policies and programs will the candidate adopt to reverse the erosion of Philippine international competitiveness in the world and address the problem of corruption?
"The primary purpose of the forum is to elicit from each candidate his specific policy ideas and solutions to major problems and challenges of national life today," says Ambassador Roberto R. Romulo, Chairman of the CPR Foundation. "In this way, the forum will assist voters in reaching a decision on who to vote for."
The forum will be moderated by Ricky Carandang of ANC. A question panel composed of Ambassador Rodolfo Severino, head of ASEAN Studies Center, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Philippine Star Editor/Columnist Amy Pamintuan, and CNN correspondent Jaime Floro Cruz will take turns in directing questions to the candidates.
Under the rules approved by the representatives of the candidates and the sponsoring organizations, the panel will question the candidates on the five main issues during the first hour of the forum. Each candidate will be given two minutes to state his position on each issue.
In the second segment, there will be an open forum participated in by both the question panel and the audience. Questions will be directed by them to the candidates individually.
In the final segment, the three candidates will each deliver a three-minute closing statement to sum up their policy positions and make their appeal to Filipino voters.
Organizers of the forum said the event will be attended by the business and diplomatic communities, the media and the general public. At least 20 ambassadors are expected to attend. Because of limited seats, interested parties are enjoined to reserve their seats early. Registration can be made via email: reyes@pfgc.ph or telephone 885-0921
The forum will be broadcast live by ANC on cable TV and ABS Studio 23 on terrestrial TV. "This will enable the Filipino citizenry all over the country to watch the event," says Ambassador Romulo.
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