MANILA, Philippines – Of the over 60 candidates working for the 2025 senatorial election, 12 bets joined GMA Community’s senatorial face-off on Saturday, February 1, to share their platforms and stances on main points the Philippines faces as we speak.
Amongst those that accepted the invitation, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was the one reelectionist and a part of the Social Climate Stations’ “Magic 12.”
Over 30 prime senatorial candidates — primarily based on Pulse Asia and SWS surveys from December 2024 — have been invited to take part within the occasion. Whereas some declined, didn’t reply, withdrew, or backed out on the final minute, 12 candidates accepted the invitation for the face-off.
Except for the previous nationwide police chief-turned-senator, the remainder of the members have been:
- Lawyer Ernesto Arellano
- Lawyer, singer Jimmy Bondoc
- Former lawmaker Teddy Casiño
- ACT Lecturers Consultant France Castro
- Labor chief Leody de Guzman
- Lawyer, labor chief Luke Espiritu
- Valenzuela Metropolis 2nd District Consultant Eric Martinez
- Former audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza
- Retired colonel Ariel Querubin
- Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas head Danilo Ramos
- Former govt secretary Vic Rodriguez
Through the face-off, the bets have been requested questions associated to their profession or private lives. In addition they had an opportunity to face one another and debate a subject they disagreed on.
On the difficulty of the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) that probes killings beneath former president Rodrigo Duterte, together with deaths beneath the Davao Loss of life Squad and the drug warfare, Dela Rosa and Casiño shared contrasting factors of view.
“ICC shouldn’t be all about justice. ICC is about management. They don’t seem to be after justice, they’re about controlling all of the member nations of the ICC,” Dela Rosa, who was among the many high-ranking cops the ICC had invited for an interview for its probe, mentioned.
Earlier within the debate, Casiño mentioned the return to the ICC would profit the victims of injustice within the Philippines: “Kailangan nating bumalik sa ICC dahil bulok ang sistema ng hustisya sa ating bansa at kailangang could ibang matatakbuhan ang mga biktima ng mga matitinding krimen sa ating bansa…. Kung mahirap ka, wala kang koneksyon, wala kang makukuhang hustisya, lalo na kapag ang katapat, ang nangbiktima sa iyo ay pulis, navy, o kaya mataas na opisyal ng gobyerno.“
(We have to return to the ICC due to the poor justice system within the nation, and in addition as a result of there needs to be a physique that victims of grave injustices may run to. In case you are poor and haven’t any connections, you can not attain justice, particularly in case your perpetrators are uniformed males or high-ranking authorities officers.)
The place they stand
The bets gave their stances on main points by elevating YES or NO placards. Right here’s the abstract of their responses:
Return to the ICC
YES: Arellano, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Espiritu, Mendoza, Ramos
NO: Bondoc, Dela Rosa, Martinez, Querubin, Rodriguez
Obligatory random drug testing for elected, appointed public officers
YES: Arellano, Bondoc, De Guzman, Dela Rosa, Martinez, Mendoza, Querubin, Rodriguez
NO: Casiño, Castro, Espiritu, Ramos
Elimination of confidential and intelligence funds of companies not concerned in intelligence gathering
YES: Arellano, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Dela Rosa, Espiritu, Mendoza, Querubin, Ramos, Rodriguez
NO: Bondoc, Martinez
Abolition of the Presidential Fee on Good Authorities (authorities arm mandated to get well Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth)
YES: Arellano, Dela Rosa, Mendoza, Querubin, Rodriguez
NO: Bondoc, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Espiritu, Martinez, Ramos
Abolition of the Nationwide Activity Pressure to Finish Native Communist Armed Battle (controversial job drive attributable to its widespread red-tagging of presidency critics and activists)
YES: Arellano, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Espiritu, Mendoza, Ramos
NO: Bondoc, Dela Rosa, Martinez, Querubin, Rodriguez
Submitting of complaints in opposition to Duterte (the Home of Representatives’ quad committee has beneficial the submitting of a go well with in opposition to the previous president for crimes in opposition to humanity)
YES: Arellano, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Espiritu, Mendoza, Ramos
NO: Bondoc, Dela Rosa, Martinez, Querubin, and Rodriguez
Passage of anti-teenage being pregnant invoice
YES: Arellano, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Espiritu, Mendoza, Ramos
NO: Bondoc, Dela Rosa, Martinez, Querubin, Rodriguez
Loss of life by firing squad for public officers responsible of corruption
YES: Arellano, Dela Rosa, Querubin
NO: Bondoc, Casiño, Castro, De Guzman, Espiritu, Martinez, Mendoza, Ramos, Rodriguez
Publicizing of Assertion of Property, Liabilities, and Internet Value (SALN)
YES: Arellano, Bondoc, Casiño, Castro, Dela Rosa, De Guzman, Espiritu, Martinez, Mendoza, Querubin, Ramos
NO: Rodriguez
There was additionally a spherical the place the candidates have been requested to boost an emoji that corresponded to their response to the photograph proven.
Among the many pictures proven was of Duterte’s. The photograph of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, who faces legal complaints for her alleged ties to a shady Philippine offshore gaming operator, was additionally proven throughout the fast phase.
The bets have been additionally requested about their views on different points and private issues, comparable to financial issues, China’s threats within the West Philippine Sea, wage of lawmakers, and even the variety of their private automobiles.
Midterm elections just like the upcoming Could polls are very important as they’d dictate the brand new composition of the nation’s roster of public officers, significantly within the Senate and the Home of Representatives. Midterm elections are vital, too, for chief executives like Marcos, as they may point out a president’s public approval and political affect as the sitting head of state. – Rappler.com
