Hontiveros is netizens’ choice in 3rd round of Rappler senatorial debate

MANILA, Philippines – Risa Hontiveros won the 3rd round of Rappler’s 2nd senatorial debate on Friday, April 15, based on polls asking netizens to vote who won each round.

Hontiveros, a health and women’s rights advocate, secured her 3rd victory when 65.22% of voters deemed her the best in the last round. (See the results of the 1st round and 2nd round.)

All 6 candidates in the debate had to answer questions crowdsourced from social media and questions from audience members at the University of the Philippines School of Economics Auditorium, the debate venue.

Valenzuela City Representative Sherwin Gatchalian was a far second with 17.39% of the votes. Third place went to former Akbayan Representative Walden Bello with 8% of votes, followed by Red Cross chairman Dick Gordon (4.35%), former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (3.26%), and former anti-drugs agency chief Dionisio Santiago (1.09%).

The 3rd round was action-packed, with students asking about solutions to Metro Manila traffic, the prison system, and even the likely winner of the presidential elections. 

De Lima was asked how she would address crimes that happen within prisons. It was during her term as justice secretary that druglords were found to be living the high life in the national penitentiary.

De Lima replied that severe congestion in prisons is the chief cause of prison-based criminality and that part of the solution is the relocation of the Bilibid prison.

Hontiveros was asked about how to address mental healthcare, to which she replied that it should be included in universal health and that the stigma against it should be fought.

Candidates also exchanged views on what funding sources can be tapped to pay for social services.

For Hontiveros, the solution is a progressive taxation system. For Bello, it’s bringing down debt service payments. De Lima was tax transformation through a law. Gatchalian and Santiago would curb smuggling while Gordon proposes creating more jobs and then lowering taxes. (READ: Senatorial bets asked: Do you support adjusting tax rates?)

The senatorial bets were told to give their ideas on how to fix the Metro Manila traffic congestion, aside from improving trainlines.

Hontiveros wants to pay bus drivers a salary, fix the system of jeeps, and fix the shipping industry because of the contribution of port congestion to traffic.

Gatchalian likes the idea of a bus rapid transit system, while Gordon would develop infrastructure in other cities all over the Philippines to decongest Metro Manila. De Lima is also for decongestion and improving the integrated public transport system. Santiago believes streamlining the bus system in EDSA is key.

The last question came from Rappler editors, who asked who the candidates thought would win the presidential elections. Not surprisingly, candidates who belong to political parties answered in favor of their standard-bearers.

De Lima and Hontiveros, running under the Liberal Party, said Manuel Roxas II would win. Gatchalian, whose brother Rex is the campaign manager of the Poe-Escudero tandem, answered Grace Poe.

Santiago, who his allied with Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, answered that the Mindanaoan presidential bet would win. Independent candidate Gordon said the fight is between Poe and Duterte. Bello, also independent, preferred to say who he thought would not win: Roxas. – Rappler.com