Dear GMA-7, it’s time for a TV debate

We are less than a month away from the midterm elections, and while the spotlight remains on who will make it to the Senate’s “Magic 12,” one local contest demands urgent public attention — the battle for the mayoralty of Manila.

In the country’s capital, there’s now a three-way race between incumbent Mayor Honey Lacuna, her predecessor Isko Moreno Domagoso, and businessman-turned-lawmaker Sam Verzosa. The latest survey by the RPMD Foundation shows Domagoso leading with 45 percent, with Verzosa closing in at 38 percent, and Lacuna trailing with just 15 percent.

That close margin tells us one thing: Manileños deserve to see them in a debate.

With the city at a turning point, voters need more than short video clips and soundbites — they need to see their candidates answer tough questions, talk about their records and accomplishments, and present clear visions for Manila’s future.

Right now, they are not getting that. Manileños see these candidates holding campaign sorties, often streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, or sitting for TV interviews — but those just aren’t enough. Interviews, in particular, can be easily skipped or avoided, as Moreno did when he declined ABS-CBN’s invitation for their “Biyaheng City Hall” series. In the end, it’s the voters who lose. A structured, televised public debate is where real leadership is tested — just like in the Comelec-organized presidential debates we’ve seen in the past.

Without a proper platform like a debate, the candidates’ messages are getting mixed up. Verzosa is now getting attention by criticizing how things have been run in the city by past administrations and calling for change with his slogan, “Bago Naman.” Domagoso wants a political comeback after losing in the 2022 presidential race. Lacuna, meanwhile, is hoping to retain her seat as the city’s first female mayor.

These are all important stories, but they’re happening separately and without real discussions. Voters are left to figure things out from news quotes and online posts. That’s not how it should be.

Manila is a city with complex issues: urban poverty, security, infrastructure decay, looming debt, and more. The next mayor needs to be ready to take all that on, and voters need the chance to scrutinize who’s truly up for the job.

In past election cycles, debate specials like Umagang Kay Ganda’s “Umagang Harapan” and Unang Hirit’s “Hiritan” provided that. Today, with ABS-CBN off the air, and GMA-7 standing as the sole mainstream network with mass reach and influence, the responsibility falls squarely on their shoulders.

A one-time TV debate is all it takes — and they can even expand it to multiple editions with candidates from other key cities like Pasig (Vico Sotto vs. Sarah Discaya), Caloocan (Along Malapitan vs. Antonio Trillanes), and Marikina (Stella Quimbo vs. Maan Teodoro), among others.

Domagoso, who returned to TV via GMA-7 after the 2022 elections, is a Sparkle talent. It would be easy to sign him up for a debate. Verzosa, a blocktimer on the Kapuso Network, has already expressed his willingness to participate. Lacuna, for her part, has been making the media rounds in recent weeks, from one-on-one with actress-TV host Toni Gonzaga to a sit-down with broadcaster Anthony Taberna. Logistically, this is doable — and more than doable, this is necessary.

GMA-7 has long said it’s committed to “Serbisyong Totoo.” Now is the time to show that those words still hold weight. The network has the platform, the reach, and the resources to do it. Now, it just needs to act. Give voters the chance to hear directly from the candidates — side by side, face to face, live, maybe with a true-blue Manileño moderating it: Arnold Clavio.

This race in Manila is close. The issues are serious. A debate wouldn’t just help — it’s the least that a network with a franchise can do. Don’t let us down, GMA-7.