Aspiring party-list group Frontliners Ang Bida gave two thumbs up to the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) senatorial debate over the weekend for a fair, honest, and educational program to enlighten the masses.
Jayke Joson, the first nominee of Frontliners Ang Bida Party-list #111, said all the senatorial candidates who attended the debates on Wednesday and Thursday at the Okada Manila Resort Hotel were given a chance to express their respective platforms.
The two-night debate team was made up of panelists UP Political Science Professor Clarita Carlos, newspaper executive Dante “Klink” Ang 2nd, Professor Anna Malindog Uy, and lawyer Rolex Suplico.
“We’re enlightened by our aspiring senatorial candidates through the help of the panelists. All questions were asked in an instant and not in advance,” Joson said.
“National and international issues like military defenses, treaties, BARMM, education, constitutional amendments, economics and health issues, among others, were discussed in the debate too.”
All the candidates were given time to interpolate other and prepare themselves for rebuttal.
“We, at the Frontliners, have learned a lot from all the senatorial candidates who shared their ideas by answering the questions by the respected panelists,” Joson said.
“SMNI senatorial debate gave candidates a very big avenue to introduce their plans, platforms to the viewing public,” Joson added. “We are also very happy to hear their plans how to help and promote our beloved frontliners who work and sacrifice a lot since the pandemic.”
SMNI debate producer Arnold Vegafria said more than three million views were recorded in the official SMNI official social media network in just two days and still counting, even in its last presidential debate last February 15 at the same venue.
“We received a lot of demands from the people after the presidential debate. They want to sustain an educative program — and the two-night senate debate was an absolute grandstanding,” Vegafria, an aspiring mayoral candidate in Olongapo City, said.
“No network has done a proper senatorial debate like this,” he added.
The first day of debate were attended by senatorial bets former presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr., lawyers Larry Gadon and Salvador Panelo, John Castriciones, Leo Olarte, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, labor lawyer Luke Espiritu, incumbent congresswoman Loren Legarda, Dr. Carl Balita, lawyer Joyce Bailen, and businessman Shariff Albani.
Former senators Gringo Honasan and Jose Victor Ejercito, former Agriculture secretary Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Piñol, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Greco Belgica, Nur Mahal Kiram, Jess Aranza, Astravel Pimentel, Ding Diaz, Minguita Padilla, Panelo and Marcoleta were also present in the second day.
The first day was hosted by lawyer Karen Jimeno, while the second day was hosted by Dahphne Oseña Paez.