On Attending Debates

 I have a very inquisitive mind.  As a child, I am wary about the why's and the how's of everything and I usually asked questions my parents are afraid to answer.  Being bombarded by a question every two and a half minutes, asking those questions plays an important role in your child’s development. It’s by asking those questions—who? what? when? where?  why?—that a child is able to explore and learn about the world around them, build connections, develop a sense of creativity and curiosity, and more.

Today, the leading newspapers in the country are encouraging everybody to watch the Comelec Sponsored presidential debates which will air tonight and will be streamed on Facebook and other social media outlets. And shocking enough BBM thru his lawyers said once again that he is not attending the debate despite Comelec's ultimatum that there will be political repercussions once a candidate decided a NO Show. 

This is already the third time he refuses to attend, and just like a child in me, frustrations start their toll as some barrage of why's kept pushing me to inquire and search.  What is really Marcos trying to evade?  I saw his interview with Toni and Boy Abunda and he looked fine with those outings.  His mind is so fertile and copious I think he can handle the questions better than the rest. So why is he avoiding this chance of a lifetime where he could connect to vote-rich regions from Aparri to Jolo without personally visiting them? Did he have any traumatic experience in debates in the past that made his lawyers justify, extenuate and apply logic to visiting a certain province in exchange for showing up in a debate?

The fact of a matter is making excuses that he is visiting Marikina, for example, is starting to dry out the patience of the meddlesome and inquiry minds of those people who are giving him a second chance, me included.  For how hard could it be to reset his schedule to that province at a later date rather than making his opponents have a field day interpreting his actions of the day. Besides what will he lose canceling his stint in Marikina,  when he could reach the entire Philippine archipelago in just one debate session? It doesn't make sense... and the logic is dubious and ambiguous.

On the other hand, Vic Rodriguez BBM's lawyer explained that BBM words are his bond, thus we shall honor our commitment to our supporters to be with them on the field on this day.  Rodriguez noted they will remain on-ground campaigning. This prompted me to make research of my own until I bump in at his debate video with Alan Peter Cayetano in his Vice Presidential bid in 2016.  Was this the actual reason why he is bent on putting a no-show in the debate? He actually did a sterling performance and he can hold a candle to Cayetano's argumentative style of debating.  All he needs is somebody to guide and spin the issues besetting his candidacy and he is good to go.

Like an old dictum, "Better be quiet than saying words you might regret later on."  But it is never right to avoid debates when your supporters expect too much from you, to straighten out issues and controversies, rather left everything hanging and make voters have a clouded perception of you.

BBM is applying for the highest position in the land, and he owes that to his voters.  Debates are part and parcel of our political process, and no one is exempted from dodging the system - if nine others can attend (with their own issues hounding like Damocles sword at the  back of their heads) BBM can too. They are on the same playing field.

Meanwhile here is the video that I accidentally saw on youtube. The link is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isrg1LRJ4JM&t=3s