When the Commission on Elections began working on putting together the #PiliPinasDebates2016 debate series, by far the most momentous thing we attributed to it was that it was the first time in more than two decades that the commission had taken such an active part in presidential debates of such scope. Little did we know, or maybe even imagine, that the debates we were working on would attract so much international attention.
By the time this sees print, I will be on my way to the States to participate in an international debate symposium, organized by the American Commission on Presidential Debates and the National Democratic Institute, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I will be part of a group composed of debate organizers—members of the Debates International network—from around the world. The group will be given the opportunity to attend the last presidential debate between the Republican and the Democratic nominees, scheduled for the 19th of October 2016.
Apart from that, the agenda will include a session on International Lessons and Innovations, in which various participants will be invited to share their latest debate experiences and lessons, as well as discuss common challenges and successful approaches on such topics as: forming a permanent debate sponsoring organization; the impact of debates on candidates’ election prospects; convincing candidates to take part in debates through public advocacy campaigns or laws; and preparing for possible legal challenges to debates, among other issues.
The Philippines is fortunate to have, with #PiliPinasDebates2016, checked off most of the items on that list. I will be presenting, among other things, Senate Bill 1797, which was authored by my late great hero, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago. The bill seeks to establish a Presidential Debate Commission, which will schedule debates for presidential and vice-presidential candidates; submit reports evaluating the debates scheduled by the commission itself and by other agencies, organizations, or the mass media; and formulate the guidelines for the adoption of the best format for the debates.
I will also be presenting the Philippine experience with social-media integration in the staging of the debates, which was recently cited by an independent international study. And, of course, in terms of challenges, I imagine I will be talking about the political advertising that was shown…and shown…and shown during the #PiliPinasDebates2016.
The symposium also represents an excellent opportunity to learn about how other countries deal with the challenge of candidate participation. I suspect that there will be a lot of common ground with other countries in that respect, as I cannot imagine any electoral-management body actually having the power to compel attendance. Still, I suppose one must leave room to be pleasantly surprised.
At the end of the symposium, I am particularly looking forward to meeting regional peers to discuss their plans—and ours—for upcoming debates. It will be the perfect opportunity to explore possible collaborations and mutual support. All told, I am extremely hopeful that my participation in this symposium will be of some help in finally institutionalizing formal debates as permanent and vibrant part of Philippine political tradition.
And the fact that I’ll actually be carrying on even the most miniscule part of the work of Inday Miriam is just icing on the cake.
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James Arthur B. Jimenez is director of the Commission on Elections’s Education and Information Department.