CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—A battalion of police and military soldiers will be deployed to secure the five presidential candidates in a “face-off” during the first round of a series of debates that begins Sunday, according to Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista.
“The premises where the presidential candidates will have to face-off will be properly secured because they are not just candidates vying for the highest post of the land but currently hold high positions and one of them will become the country’s next president,” Bautista told reporters upon touchdown at the Laguindingan airport.
Among those vying for the presidency are Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Coalition, Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People’s Reform Party and Grace Poe of Partido Galing at Puso and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Of the five presidential candidates, only former Interior and Local Governments Secretary Manuel Roxas II of the ruling Liberal Party is not an incumbent.
Bautista said he has requested the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to send an appropriate number of men and women in uniform that would provide security before, during and after the debate.
All five camps will bring with them their guests and respective senatorial bets.
“The AFP and the PNP leadership assured me they would send a battalion of policemen and soldiers. We requested for the security,” Bautista told Manila-based reporters.
As of Saturday, several checkpoints had been set up near the airport and around the city.
Bautista said the Comelec did not receive any imminent threat. He allayed fears that the enemies of the state would target the area that would host five big personalities in a single event and in the same venue.
“A battalion of police and soldiers or about 300 to 1,000 of them is not an overkill. We just want to make sure that no untoward incident happens in such a big public event. Several senatorial candidates, some of whom are incumbents, congressmen and other officials would also be here,” Bautista said.
The debate will be held at the Mini-Theater Building of the Capitol University in this city. It will be moderated by GMA news anchor Mike Enriquez and Jessica Soho and co-hosted by John Nery.