Finally, we had a debate

By Al S. Mendoza

 

JOJO Binay was stubborn.

Grace Poe was in war mode.

Mar Roxas was insult-prone.

And Digong Duterte was, for once, gentleman.

Binay brought in his notes to the debate that he insisted were merely his documents.

Whereas the rules debate say notes were prohibited, Binay still bullied his way with his load of papers in tow.

At first glance, Binay had a right to do that.

He got the green light to do so before the debate started.

But then, the information came from the wrong person: Luchi Cruz-Valdez.

Valdez was the debate’s moderator and TV5 anchor rolled into one.

Why just one person for two crucial roles?

Scrimping on budget?

And I thought MVP, the TV5 owner, was a billionaire, possessed with wads of money that bills might soon be sticking out of his ears?

Anyways, Valdez it was who, when asked by Binay if notes were allowed to be brought in to the debate, said it was OK.

Turns out not OK; the Comelec had disallowed it.

Why Roxas, Poe and Duterte knew about it but not Binay is as complex a puzzle as the unsolved Ninoy Aquino assassination in 1983.

And yes, why did Binay ask Valdez and not the Comelec about the bringing in of notes also showed a chink in the Veep’s armor.

Isn’t it elementary that one should always rely on the Comelec on matters of election procedures?

What does Valdez know about election thingamajig?

And, yes again, why would Valdez decide on a game-changing matter that was purely Greek on her turf?

Ah, there seems to be no end to this.

But back to the debate.

Poe trading swords with both Binay (citizenship issue) and Roxas (LP allies aren’t charged in courts at all) got her nothing but low grades for appearing too confrontational and a bit brash, respectful.

Surprise, surprise that Poe did not “touch” Duterte.

After the debate, Poe even made beso-beso with Duterte; surely, that earned pogi points for Duterte.

While Binay kept accusing Roxas of masterminding the “demolition by perception” against the former Makati Mayor, Roxas was emphatic in always telling Binay to his face, “Nagnakaw ka base sa records ng COA.”

Always, Binay answered:  “Accusation is different from conviction.”

Quite astonishingly, Duterte seemed to distance himself from heated debates, preferring to put up a stance of being level-headed and calm.

But he scored big with his spin on climate change, especially hitting the recent visit here of former American vice president Al Gore as “telling us what to do but he couldn’t do that in his own country.”

He said the First World countries like the US must do some more to mitigate climate change.

“Our coal-fired plants are but a fraction of the whole,” Duterte said.  “Why did Gore pick on us?”

Thus, when netizens voted as one in saying Duterte was the runaway winner in the debate, I wasn’t surprised.

And one thing more: Unlike in that Cagayan de Oro “debate,” the March 20 debate in Cebu was a real debate.

Here’s looking forward to the April 24 debate at our beloved University of Pangasinan.

Happy Easter!

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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