MANILA - UniTeam presidential and vice-presidential candidates Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio have yet to decide whether to attend the upcoming debates sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"I don’t know, I’m still looking at the format,” Marcos Jr. said, in a chance interview with journalists Tuesday, March 1.

Duterte-Carpio, meanwhile, said she has yet to finalize discussions with her campaign team.

Marcos Jr.’s national campaign manager, Benhur Abalos, said Monday he had written the poll body and the camps of other national candidates to seek a discussion on the debate format and ground rules, as he stressed this is being done in other countries, particularly the US.

Abalos said there was no feedback, so far, while Comelec had already announced the “single-moderator” presidential debate is slated on March 19.

Marcos Jr. has skipped 3 presidential forums sponsored by mass media organizations, as his chief of staff and spokesman, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, explained Marcos will only engage public forums that allot sufficient time for candidates to explain their platforms and answer questions.

Rodriguez also maintained Marcos will not participate in debates that only intent to pit candidates against each other, claiming that the public is tired of "political mudslinging."

Marcos Jr. has appeared in several other debates, and one-on-one and panel interviews.

Duterte-Carpio, for her part, cited personal reasons in not attending the recent presidential debate sponsored by a media network.