This early, Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearers Gilbert Teodoro and Edu Manzano are begging off from the first ever tandem debates among presidential and vice-presidential candidates aired live nationwide on Sunday.
In a statement, Teodoro said he has already saturated forums and debates and now needs to concentrate on doing campaign sorties in the provinces. He said the start of the campaign period for local candidates could boost his campaign as he joins local bets of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
He added that he will probably join the debates again in the last 2 weeks of the campaign.
His running mate, Manzano, also said he prefers to go directly to the voters instead of attending nationally-televised debates. Manzano said he shunned the first ever Harapan: The Vice-Presidential Debate on ABS-CBN last Sunday because he sees TV debates as just another venue for mudslinging.
"I did not attend the forum kasi mudslinging ang nangyari. Hindi siya nakakatulong. It does not address regional concerns ng mga tao," he told reporters.
He added: "At the end of the day, nakakatulong lang ito sa mga TV stations dahil sa mga ad spots."
There is also talk that other presidential-vice presidential tandems are planning to snub the debate after last Sunday's fiery debate among 6 vice-presidential candidates.
A political analyst, meanwhile, said candidates should not be afraid to join nationally-televised debates.
In an interview, Ramon Casiple of the Institute of Political and Electoral Reform said candidates who fail to appear in TV debates lose their chance to present their platforms in a very personal manner before a larger audience.
"TV is a very personal medium for viewers. It's not just what you say but your mannerisms, the way you answer, has an impact. In some ways, it has an even greater impact. Your total personality is observed and sometimes that's more important for voters," he said.
He added, however, that some candidates may purposely shun live debates since they cannot control what comes out on television.
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