1 day Ago By Reinnard Balonzo
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );ALBAY, Philippines – Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative and gubernatorial candidate Luis Raymond “LRay” Villafuerte and 3rd District representative candidate Nonoy Villafuerte Magtuto skipped Harampangan 2025, a midterm election forum organized by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on Monday, April 28.Underscoring the disappointment of organizers and voters, PPCRV Diocesan Coordinator Reverend Father Marcel Emmanuel DP Real confirmed that only Magtuto bothered to cite a scheduling conflict in a letter sent just two days prior, while Villafuerte was purely a no-show.
“While respecting their choice, their absence was disappointing, thwarting the forum’s purpose for the many anticipating their platforms,” Real said, noting over 2,500 in-person attendees who were mostly students and youth voters and over 500,000 online viewers.Real added, “The forum was intended to be their platform to present plans for Camarines Sur, but their absence deprived the eager audience of hearing from them.”PPCRV lay coordinator Edna Tejada clarified that all candidates were invited and sufficiently notified about the forum.
According to her, their organization ensured that the candidates received both electronic and hard copies of the invitation.“We made sure that we got the names, their addresses, and even the emails of the candidates from Comelec (Commission on Elections). We sent the invitations through email, and we even delivered them to their office addresses and residences.
The PPCRV ensured that the invitation had been given to them for quite some time already,” Tejada said.Must Read Bicol’s heated races in the 2025 polls ‘Alarming absence’Tejada said that not attending such forums is not a good indicator, especially because it is supposedly the candidates’ way of knowing the concerns and sentiments of the people they will serve, and also a platform for them to answer their constituents’ questions.“It’s not good if a candidate doesn’t attend and participate in the forum because the main purpose is for them to introduce themselves and also to learn the sentiments and concerns of their future constituents,” she said.
Ninna Nasayao, a political scientist from Camarines Sur, said that Villafuerte’s decision to skip the debate, where he could have addressed voters directly, effectively allowed his opponent’s views to stand unchallenged, and potentially signaled a significant disregard of a large segment of the electorate.window.rapplerAds.
displayAd( "middle-2" );window.rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-2" );“The absence of LRay Villafuerte in the recent debate leaves the claims and plans of his opponent uncontested and robs voters of the chance to be heard and answered by him.
With the debate garnering 500,000+ live viewers, a number enough to elect a new governor, Villafuerte’s absence might be the biggest message he can give to the voters,” Nasayao said. Even if Villafuerte is the leading gubernatorial candidate, Nasayao said that his absence from the recent debate might influence undecided voters to favor his opponent, Bong Rodriguez.“His opponent took the debate as a chance to address the accusations thrown against him, criticized the 30-decade-long reign of the Villafuertes, and presented a concrete platform,” she said.
“If we combine this with the clamor of the masses for change, then Villafuerte might have unintentionally tipped the scale to his opponent’s advantage.”She warned that the trend of candidates not showing up at forums and debates, like Villafuerte and then-presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the 2022 elections, could lead to the public relying solely on the content candidates provide.
This is why Real urged voters to look beyond flashy campaign ads and delve into the candidates’ actual platforms and plans. He expressed a strong hope that the forum, despite the candidates’ absences, would still serve as a crucial guide, empowering voters to make informed choices based on substance rather than superficial promises.“Analyze the candidates and study their plans; don’t just blindly follow and believe political advertisements,” he said.
Must Read [Local Vote] Defeating a dynasty is not in Leni Robredo’s hands Mandating debatesBoth Real and Nasayao emphasized that the current mandate of the Comelec regarding candidates’ optional attendance at debates, while legal, diminishes essential electoral discourse. They argued that avoidance shouldn’t be accepted because public service inherently involves engaging in discussions.“Although RA [Republic Act] 9006 outlines Comelec’s mandate to conduct national debates, a candidate’s presence is not mandatory, allowing candidates to decide freely at the expense of decreased electoral discourse.
Such behavior during elections should not be normalized, as public service entwines scrutiny, discussion, plans, and actions,” Nasayao said.Real said that it is high time Comelec takes the lead in organizing such forums and debates to better compel candidates to attend.He suggested, “Comelec can spearhead forums themselves and require candidates to attend.
That way, there will be no escape from engaging in a more meaningful dialogue between candidates and voters.”window.rapplerAds.
displayAd( "middle-3" );window.rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-3" );Nasayao echoed this, arguing that requiring candidates to attend forums and debates is simply part of the wider electoral process and voters’ right to a more informed choice.
“As voters, we should not be jaded by the cycle of traditional politics and demand more from our candidates — starting with their presence in debates,” she said. Meanwhile, Real said that although some candidates were absent, the presence of many earnest voters listening to and participating in such dialogues is already promising.“Albeit some candidates were absent, the active participation of voters, especially the youth, signals our hopes and deep desires for good governance.
The youth must hold on to this and to their idealism, which will guide them in making better choices,” he said. – Rappler.com Must Read Lray Villafuerte’s ‘sexually suggestive’ pick-up lines recalled amid Pasig’s Sia controversy.
