ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines?They came unnoticed by ordinary residents because there were no colorful ribbons or tarpaulins announcing their arrivals.

Even when Juan Carlos delos Reyes of the Ang Kapatiran party and independent Nicanor Perlas walked into the Summit Centre here Wednesday for the presidential forum organized by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), only a handful of people took notice.

Delos Reyes and Perlas came in separately. They were the only presidential candidates that made it to the forum.

Delos Reyes arrived early at 8 a.m., had an exchange of pleasantries with local contacts and sat alone at the front seat row.

Some students from the Universidad de Zamboanga even mistook him for a campaigner until he introduced himself as among those invited to the presidential forum.

"He had no security aide. Nobody prevented us from getting close to him. He was so down to earth," Eleanor Alforque, a nursing student, said.

She cited a previous experience with a presidential candidate, who also recently visited the city.

Alforque said during that visit, aides of the particular presidential candidate prevented her and others from getting too close.

"He was too near yet too far. But with JC, we can chat with him up close and ask him questions," she said.

Several minutes later, environmentalist Perlas arrived, also almost unnoticed.

Wearing black long sleeves and slacks, Perlas came in with a lone assistant and soon chatted with Mayor Celso Lobregat, a former classmate.

It was only when the two candidates climbed up the stage that the crowd took notice and soon learned they were running for president.

Nursing student Rahiya Daud said she was readily converted to the Perlas bandwagon after hearing him talk about his platform of governance.

"I have my real candidate now, it's Perlas," Daud, a former supporter of Manny Villar, said.

Defending her new choice, Daud said she realized that Perlas had more wisdom than Villar, who pledged to champion the causes of the poor.

In a separate interview, Delos Reyes said he would implement radical reforms in the peace process once elected.

"I will implement radical reforms and changes in the way the peace process is handled. I will remove all the warriors in the panels because clearly, there is conflict of interest if we put in say a general of the AFP or a combatant from the rebels," he said.

Delos Reyes said peace could never be achieved "while both sides are building up arms."

Instead of generals and rebel leaders, Delos Reyes said peace settlement must be initiated by Mindanao key leaders, who would be "chosen by local people of Mindanao and all groups must be well represented?Muslims, Lumad and Christians."

Perlas said the first step in resolving the Mindanao conflict would be to clip the powers of the favored few.

He called for social justice and the rational distribution of resources to ensure the success of the peace process would not succeed.

"Conflict emanates from the central government's refusal to abide by laws requiring officials to serve the people, bulsa lang nila ang pinapataba (only their pockets have been fattened)," Perlas said.

He said rebels groups should unite to avert separate pacts.

As this developed, the PPCRV said it was dismayed at the failure of other candidates to show up at the forum.

Father Antonio Moreno, president of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, lamented that the other candidates had confirmed their attendance.

"They all agreed for March 17 and so I was expecting them to attend," Moreno said.

He said that at the last minute, some candidates he did not identify laid down conditions while others simply withdrew.

"I feel really dismayed over this, they should have taken this forum seriously," Moreno, of the Jesuit order, said.

Arsenio Gonzales, a local businessman, said the absence of the other presidential candidates made him think the city was not important to them.

"It's quite sad and unfortunate because it is during presidential forums like this that people are able to express their sentiments and make them known to the candidates," Gonzales, also an official of the Movement for Better Zamboanga or MOBEZA, said.

Asked what his impressions of Delos Reyes and Perlas were, Gonzales said: "They are very promising leaders, they will really make good presidents."