You can relive and re-watch the 2nd PiliPinas Debates – Visayas Leg here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgZcxU9YZns
With the 2nd PiliPinas Debates 2016 – Visayas Leg, many outspoken politically involved Filipino netizens have voiced their varied opinions as they watch the TV5 coverage of the debate.
Many can’t help themselves but compare it to the 1st PiliPinas Debates 2016 hosted by GMA Network. Here are some of the things most of us have observed in TV5’s Pilipinas Debates 2016 – Visayas Leg.
The Big Delay and Drama
GMA Network’s PiliPinas Debates 2016 – Mindanao Leg started right on time from 5:00 PM and ended at around 7:00 in the evening. Many believe that TV5’s coverage would start in the same manner which was expected unfortunately the debate got delayed for about one and a half hour.
The cause of the delay was a miscommunication between VP Binay and TV5 mainly with anchor and debate presenter-moderator Luchi Cruz-Valdes over the bringing of “notes” on stage. The official story was later broadcasted by the network to somewhat save face for the almost one and a half hour of delay.
Binay kept on insisting that he should bring his notes which is actually are documents at the debate stage which was a clear violation of the COMELEC debate rules. A rule that was implemented on the 1st PiliPinas Debates 2016 and their camp can very well verify with COMELEC which was the head organizer of these debate series. It caused the big delay and unnecessary drama that gave TV5 more attention than in normally should have.
A Focus More on the Debates and Mudslinging?
While GMA Network’s format played on the neutral to safe zone making their version more of a highly televised “meeting de avance” than a full-pledged debate, TV5 has listened to the criticism thrown at GMA Network’s way. This time, TV5’s debate format now gave more time for back-and-forth exchanges, which GMA Network lack to give way for more revenue through television advertisements. The more airtime for exchanges, the more each have the capability to discuss what they can on the issue. While they have shared some interesting insight pertaining to the topics asked by the panelists, all is not perfect in the 2nd PiliPinas Debates 2016.
Luchi Cruz had a hard time moderating the debate and although specific issues where asked, somehow the candidate-debaters managed to shoehorn mudslinging in the process – that instead of focusing more on the issues and subject topics asked by the panelists, some still managed to hurl immature insults usually seen in grade school banter or blast “political dirt” at each other. It was troubling but entertaining at the same time, because you see these supposedly respectable leaders aspiring to win the highest seat of the land through democratic process of election dissent into political mudslinging which makes you question – is this all what they have to offer? Is this the kind of leaders Filipinos will vote during election time?
TV5 Stepping Up its Game and Professionalism
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. TV5 is lagging behind when compared to ABS-CBN and GMA Network when it comes to the ratings game. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have good shows. Quite the contrary, they have some of the most interested news and public affairs shows and commentaries to date, who also have won various awards. It is just that the two rival networks have more star power and have better advertising machinery.
The delay that wasted one and a half hours of everyone’s time was handled well by the network commentators, who have repeatedly apologized for the delay and have even read some dissenting and condescending remarks hurled towards them by over-privilege social media citizens. This was quite very classy which makes them appear more open to criticism, unlike what was seen on GMA Network, which only read or featured self-validating and praising commentaries from the netizens during their run.
The network also show what transpired during the first one and a half hour that caused the delay. This has both gained them some points in professionalism for owning up for their mistakes, if it was truly an honest mistake. The Binay camp could have very well verified the answers with COMELEC, but they decided to stick with TV5’s Luchi Cruz. Well, they can’t really hide it anyway, so better own it up. In the digital age, nothing can no longer be kept secret especially if it has to do with the biggest television event of the week.
If we also can remember, GMA Network’s 1st PiliPinas Debates 2016 seem to have wasted airtime explaining the ear piece wore by Binay, a shallow joke about a fish bowl, and some dramatic segment that eats away what was supposedly time meant for discussions. Luchi Cruz-Valdes, on the other hand, have minimize the focus on herself and have step up to actually do her job as moderator.
TV5 Over-Indulging with all the Attention It Has Received
Amidst the overall positive reaction towards how the debates or exchanges went, TV5 via its moderator Luchi Cruz-Valdes had on multiple occasions, failed to properly moderate the debates. If we add things up, we can say that TV5 is tolerating the chaos that some arguments have devolved into.
There were multiple occasions when Roxas has pointed out that he was using his time to response blocking his opponents rebuttal, but when he does it, other candidates seems to let it off. Some candidates have overspent their allotted time abusing the leniency of the rules. If there is something that CNN Philippines and ABS-CBN (the next media partners for the following PiliPinas Debates 2016) can do, it is to implement a firmer rule like turning off microphones when the time has all been used up (or give each candidates an additional 10 seconds after the initial counter reaches zero but will be later deducted at their later rebuttals). For rounds that doesn’t involved other candidates making a comment, turn off their microphones. TV5 and COMELEC could have done this, and yet here they are babysitting and indulging the mudslinging whims and grandstanding of each candidate.
While initially it appear that TV5 has less commercial breaks within a round, the next round break (from Round 1 to Round 2) have also contained tons of advertisement. When the debate officially ended, TV5 asked the viewers at home if they can stay for a while to see what has transpired that caused the controversial one and a half hour delay. The biggest insult was probably putting lengthy commercials in a pre-recorded clip that only show some banter amongst the candidates as they deal with the PrimaDonna Binay who was adamant in bringing his “notes” on the stage.
In conclusion, TV5 has made a better PiliPinas Debates 2016 than GMA Network in terms of bringing out the personality of each candidates and seeing something that more closely to a formal debate, when they are not busy slinging mud at each other. But amidst the positives are some negatives and the first that comes to mind is miscommunication. Personally, I find it really skeptical that the Binay Camp kept on persisting their way even amidst coming to a resolution and not getting the information straight from the horse’s mouth, but TV5’s Luchi Cruz-Valdes is not free from responsibilities as they should have communicated properly with COMELEC to avoid these kinds of “unintentional” fiasco. We still have two more PiliPinas Debates 2016 debates to go, still spearheaded by the COMELEC but this time in partnership with ABS-CBN’s Luzon Leg (April 24, 2016) and CNN Philippines Vice-Presidential Debates (April 10, 2016). The two must learn to pick up from the mistakes of the first two to perfect and bring forth the true debate that will help educate the voting public on who should they pick this coming election 2016 as the President of the Philippines for 2016 up to 2022.
