(From left to right) Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, IBP Cebu City Chapter President Atty. Regal Oliva, Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, and Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City Chapter reiterated their impartiality in the recent mayoral debate on Friday, May 10, following claims on social media that the IBP had political inclinations.
In a statement released on their official Facebook page, the IBP Cebu City said the debate was aimed to bring the Cebu City elections to a higher level, where the voters will be able to know firsthand the platforms and advocacies of the Mayoralty and Vice Mayoralty candidates in an intellectual and academic forum.
IBP said the candidates were informed weeks prior of the guideline which states that “Candidates are reminded that IBP Cebu City Chapter is an apolitical organization” and that “the debate is merely an exercise done to educate the voters and is not meant to favor any invited candidate.”
The IBP said they are grateful for the candidates for agreeing to join debate, the IBP members for helping organize the debate, and the supporters for watching the debate since it was a “milestone” in the history of the chapter.
“I stand firm that IBP Cebu City shall remain to be apolitical and will continue to uphold the objectives of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines,” said Lawyer Regal Oliva, president of the IBP Cebu City Chapter in the statement.
The May 10 debates highlighted the face off between Mayor Tomas Osmeña of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, the standard bearer of the Partido Barug-PDP Laban.
They answered questions on pressing issues of the including calamities and risk reduction, tourism, transportation, business and investments, health, social services, education, and safety and security. / celr
The official statement of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City after the mayoral debates on May 10. | Photo courtesy of lawyer Regal Oliva, president of IBP Cebu City