MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 11, 2013) – Dismissing attempts to create a ‘Risa Hontiveros-Nancy Binay’ debate as a ‘last-ditch effort to save Hontiveros’ failing Senate bid,’ a youth leader has challenged her to have a public debate with him instead.
In an attempt to pressure the UNA bet, supporters of Hontiveros have spammed the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook with ‘memes’ and other calls for a public debate between the two. Hontiveros, despite having the resources and backing of the Aquino administration, has been lagging behind election surveys.
“Clearly, Mrs. Binay does not want a public debate. If Risa truly wants to inform voters and clarify stances on various social issues, we are more than available to be her counterpart in a public debate. Name the time and place, we’ll be there,” Vencer Crisostomo, national chairperson of Anakbayan, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Crisostomo took the ‘public’ nature of the debate one step further by asking Filipino netizens on Twitter and Facebook to suggest topics.
Crisostomo’s challenge has gone ‘viral’, with his original challenge on Twitter (@venzie), as well as screen captures of his challenge on Facebook, being shared hundreds of times. Yet until today, there has been no response from Hontiveros.
“No one in Anakbayan would be surprised if Risa would chicken-out from the challenge. After all, she is most likely scared that her carefully cultivated image of a ‘social reformist’ would be easily crushed, and her role as ‘presidential chuwariwap’ and defender of President Aquino’s anti-people and anti-poor policies would be bared for everyone to see,” he said.
“Siguro na-trauma siya sa pagkapahiya ng mga kapwa niya Akbayan noong nakaraan. But Risa can take her time. Our offer’s good until Election Day,” he added.
In October, leaders of Akbayan and Crisostomo engaged in a word war in several TV and radio appearances after the latter, along with several other youth leaders, filed a disqualification complaint against Akbayan from the party list race.
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