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FIRST STOP: CAGAYAN DE ORO

Five presidential hopefuls face off in historic PiliPinas Debates 2016


Five presidential candidates will face off in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday afternoon for the first time since the campaign period started earlier this month.

Presidential hopefuls Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago will discuss their track records, and plans to tackle poverty and development and peace and order.

Questions from residents of Mindanao will also be asked during the debate.

The five candidates have confirmed their attendance to the Commission on Elections-mandated event to be held at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City.

The two-hour debate, which will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., will begin with the five candidates' opening statements, which will be limited to only 60 seconds each.

The debate will have three rounds, with each round focusing on a specific issue. For every round, each candidate will get to answer one question, with another candidate being designated to react.

The candidate will be given 90 seconds to answer the question from the moderator. The other candidate will have 60 seconds for a rebuttal. The first candidate will have the last say in a 30-second counter-rebuttal.

After the three rounds, the candidates will be given another minute each for their closing statements.

The candidates will not be allowed to bring cue cards when they are on the stage, but they will be given a piece of paper where they can write their notes.

The debate will be moderated by GMA News anchors Mike Enriquez and Jessica Soho and Philippine Daily Inquirer’s John Nery.

Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista said the debate was patterned after the CNN Republican debate.

“International best practices will be adopted,” he said in a press briefing on Saturday.

Limited space

Because of limited space, only 35 supporters of each candidate will be allowed inside the Mini-Theater of the Capitol University.

The rest of the audience inside the 500-seater venue will come from different sectors of Mindanao including local media, who will serve as observers.

Other supporters will be accommodated inside the gym, which can house 2,000 people. Large monitors will be provided to allow them to watch the debate.

A media center, which can accommodate 300 people, will also be provided for journalists who are accredited to cover the historic event.

TV, radio, internet

For those who will not be able to go to the Capitol University, they can watch the PiliPinas Mindanao debate from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. live over GMA-7 and Super Radyo dzBB and will be livestreamed on GMA News Online (www.gmanews.tv) and INQUIRER.net, two of the biggest news websites in the country.

Aside from the standard broadcast, viewers can also stream a 360-degree video of the debate through GMA News Online.

The proprietary technology was developed by the research and development unit of GMA New Media, Inc. (NMI), a wholly owned subsidiary of GMA and the network's forerunner in technology, and allows any web user to pan the camera view around the venue in near-real-time.

It utilizes a special single web camera that captures all the 360-degree angles simultaneously. The NMI’s 360 technology also allows simultaneous streams to as many users with as many points of views and at bit-rates that are within practical web limits.

There will also be live updates on GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2016 microsite which will provide not just up-to-the-second coverage, but also instant analysis and background for readers while watching the event.

Emoji Meter

Viewers, meanwhile, can quickly make their sentiments known with the Emoji Meter, which will allow them to instantly react to what is happening during the debate on Sunday.

In partnership with GMA, Facebook and Twitter will also provide real-time insights about the conversations and reactions that will shape up during the event.

The GMA News accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Viber will also provide exclusive peeks into the debate before, during, and after the event, with backstage video, live audience interviews during breaks, and other snapshots that won't be seen in the television broadcast.

For those abroad, the event will also air live in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, USA and Canada via GMA Pinoy TV, and slightly delayed in the Asia Pacific region.

The first of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 is organized by GMA 7, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Commission on Elections. Similar debates will be held in Luzon and in the Visayas over the course of the 90-day campaign period.

It will be the first time that a presidential debate will be held in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the vice presidential debate to be held in the National Capital Region (University of Santo Tomas or University of the Philippines) may cover all topics covered by the presidential debates.

Security

At least 500 policemen will be deployed to provide security for the event aside from the 100 local security personnel and volunteers which will include city traffic officers and barangay officials.

Adlai Asturiano, senior manager of GMA security, said he was told that at least 93 people for the rescue team, medics, and fire trucks will also be tapped for the event.

Senior Superintendent Faro Antonio Olaguera, acting director of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, earlier said that they have detected no security threat in connection with the event.

"So far, directed to this undertaking, we haven't received any adverse information. But, of course, we are not lowering our guards in terms sa pag-monitor natin in coordination with the intelligence community," he said. —ALG/KG, GMA News

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