WHERE THEY STAND: 2022 senatorial bets' stance on various issues

MANILA, Philippines – Senatorial candidates for the May 9 polls shared their positions on key issues during a forum on Saturday, March 12.

Twenty senatorial candidates initially confirmed their attendance to The Rundown 2022, a youth-oriented Senate elections forum of the Commission on Elections. However, only 19 were able to attend after Antique Representative Loren Legarda withdrew her participation.

Those who joined Saturday’s forum are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Ibrahim Albani
Agnes Bailen
Carl Balita
Roy Cabonegro
John Castriciones
Neri Colmenares
David D’Angelo
Chel Diokno
Luke Espiritu
Win Gatchalian
Richard “Dick” Gordon
Samira Gutoc
Risa Hontiveros
Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog
Alex Lacson
Sonny Matula
Astra Pimentel
Antonio Trillanes IV
Carmen Zubiaga

The candidates provided their stance on key issues during the forum’s yes or no segment. Aside from this segment, they also answered questions from a panel that included former Ateneo School of Government dean Antonio La Viña, Cielo Magno of the University of the Philippines School of Economics, and Louie Benedict Ignacio of the University of Santo Tomas’ Department of Political Science.

Below are the key issues asked during the yes or no segment:

Legalizing abortion
Mandatory military service for the youth
Lowering of corporate income tax
Repeal of anti-terror law
Effectivity of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war
Death penalty
Adopting federal system of government
Anti-balimbing bill
Legalizing motorcycle taxis or habal-habal
Effectivity of the K to 12 program
Changing of public utility vehicles’ boundary system to service contract
Public’s open access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth
Prohibition of end-of-contract scheme or endo
Allowing politicians with pending case to run
Effectivity of government’s response to COVID-19

The slides below captured rapid responses of the candidates during the forum. The Rundown organizers are expected to release the full answers on Monday, March 14.

The organizers also clarified that Zubiaga’s answer to the anti-terror law question was “yes.” This means that Zubiaga, an advocate for persons with disabilities, thinks the law should be repealed.

Take a look at the senatorial bets’ rapid responses: