Four presidential candidates are now all in the venue for the PiliPinas 2016 debate
Vice President Jejomar Binay was the early bird and wanted to come prepared.
Unlike his three competitors, Binay arrived first at the University of the Philippines Performing Arts Hall inside the UP Cebu campus in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
He went inside the two-story building at 4 p.m., an hour ahead of the 5 p.m.
PiliPinas 2016 debate and proceeded inside the debate hall on the second floor to check the sound system.
He and his team left the building 15 minutes later.
Among the four candidates, only Binay made sure to check the sound system first prior to the debate proper.
Binay and his son, suspended Mayor Erwin “Junjun” Binay and some staff members even went to UP Cebu before midnight of Saturday to check the area, according to UP Cebu staff members.
He was given a tour of the Guesthouse, located beside the UP Performing Arts Hall building where the candidates would stay while waiting for the signal to get inside the debate hall.
A UP staff member, who asked not to be named, said Binay even asked that he be accommodated at the VIP room beside the debate hall instead of the Guesthouse with the other candidates.
But he was told to take up his request to the UP officials.
The security personnel at the UP Performing Arts Hall were strict in enforcing the rule that each candidate could only bring six staff members to accompany him or her to the VIP area.
The candidate could also only bring 15 supporters to watch the debate inside the venue, since the debate hall could only accommodate 300 people, the UP staff member said.
Mar Roxas (Liberal Party) came with six people. The rest of his entourage were not allowed to get inside the door. Even presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, who was with Roxas, was almost not allowed to get in and had to wiggle himself in between the door panel as the guards was about to close it.
Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who was the second earliest candidate to arrive, was in a jovial mood. Clad in a Barong Tagalog over blue jeans and leather shoes, Duterte was all smiles when he got inside the building and raised his fist as he walked to the stairs.
UP President Alfredo Pascual was already giving his welcome remarks inside the debate hall at 4:38 p.m. when Sen. Grace Poe in a white dress walked into the building.
After a short wave, she walked fast to the second floor to join with the other presidential candidates.
Shortly after Poe arrived, Binay walked in to the UP Performing Arts Hall for the second time.
Outside the UP campus, supporters of the candidates at the soccer field to cheer for their bets during the debate that would be beamed live through the wide screen TV.
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