Sara Duterte: Up to Congress whether to penalize debate skippers

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — Vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday said it is up to Congress whether to penalize those who do not attend election debates.

Duterte had been asked to comment on Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia's appeal for Congress to pass a law which will require presidential debates and penalize those who will not attend those events.

“Well we wait for the next Congress po kung ano ‘yung action o desisyon nila on this matter,” she said.

To recall, Duterte, running mate of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., announced that she would not be taking part in any debates this campaign period. She was a no-show at the vice presidential debate sponsored by Comelec itself earlier this month.

She was also not present during the debate organized by the CNN Philippines.

Duterte is the running mate of former senator Bongbong Marcos, who has also skipped most of the debates this campaign period, except for the one conducted by Apollo Quiboloy's SMNI network.

Marcos also did not attend Comelec's first presidential debate. — BM, GMA News