MANILA - The Commission on Elections' refusal to craft debate rules for senatorial candidates "shows weakness," several bets from the opposition slate Otso Diretso banner said Wednesday.

Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abbas said there was not enough time to organize a debate that would include all 62 official candidates for senator.

"That only shows the weakness of the Comelec. Napakahina naman ng ating Commission on Elections para hindi 'yan gawan ng paraan," veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said in a press conference in Marikina City.

(Our Comelec is too weak to not be able to address that.)

"Kaysa aksayahin ng Comelec ang oras sa kakaikot, kakatingin saan nakalagay ang illegal posters, dapat gawin nito ang trabaho na magkaroon tayo ng well-informed electorate," he said.

(Instead of making rounds to look for illegal posters, the Comelec should focus on ensuring that we have a well-informed electorate.)

Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said the Comelec's mandate is "not just administrative."

"Comelec's core function is not to simply conduct elections, but to ensure that voters are well-informed come elections," Hilbay said.

Former House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada refuted the Comelec's statement that there was not enough time for another round of debates.

"Ang hinihingi lang naman ng Otso Diretso ay maging maliwanag ang rules," he said.

(Otso Diretso is only asking that the rules be clarified.)

Otso Diretso bets have been challenging their rivals from the administration ticket to participate in debates to explain their stand on issues such as tax reform and rising consumer prices.

The opposition slate filed a formal request for the poll body to set ground rules after Hugpong ng Pagbabago chair Sara Duterte said she does not want a "palengke-style" (market-style) debate.

The debate challenge can be "extended" to other senatorial hopefuls, but Otso Diretso prefers to have a duel with administration-backed candidates, Macalintal said.

"Ang hinahamon namin dito ay 'yung mga kandidato lang na handang humarap sa amin. Puwede namin i-extend 'yun kaya lang ang laging umaatake samin ay 'yung Hugpong at administration candidates," he said.

(We are only challenging candidates that are ready to face us. We can extend the invitation to others but we are always attacked by Hugpong and administration candidates.)

"'Yung iba hindi namin sinasali kasi hindi naman sila nakikipagsagutan samin," he said.

(We excluded those who refused to engage us.)

Macalintal singled out Sen. Sonny Angara, who led the committee that passed the first package of TRAIN or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion.

Villar was ranked second while Angara placed third to ninth in Pulse Asia Inc's Jan. 26 to 31 survey. Macalintal, a veteran election lawyer, placed 24th to 32nd.

"Yung iba gumawa ng batas pero ayaw nila ipaglaban ‘yung batas na ginawa nila. Tulad ng TRAIN law ni Sonny Angara. Bakit ayaw niya ipaliwanag kung paano ito makabubuti sa atin?" Macalintal told Otso Diretso volunteers and supporters here.

(Some craft laws that they refuse to defend. Like Sonny Angara's TRAIN. Why doesn't he want to explain why this will be good for us?)