Only Binay attends presidential debate dry run

Of all the “presidentiables,” only Vice President Jejomar Binay attended the dry run for the presidential debate here on Sunday. MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB/INQUIRER.net

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Of all the “presidentiables,” only Vice President Jejomar Binay attended the dry run for the presidential debate on Sunday.

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Binay arrived for the walk-through on the stage Sunday morning to check the loudness of his voice over the microphone.

The vice president had to be reminded to speak louder by the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) spokesperson Mon Ilagan because his voice would be drowned by the audience.

Binay also had to lean forward to the microphone for him to be heard.

On the other hand, the other presidential candidates—Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte—only sent their representatives for the dry run.

Santiago’s flight from Manila was delayed for one and a half hours. Her staff said the senator also thought that the podium check was “unnecessary.”

Meanwhile, Peter Laviña, Duterte’s spokesperson, said that it might be “amateurish” for a candidate to attend a dry run. “We trust the organizers that the setting is ok and fair to all,” he said.

The first Commission on Elections presidential debate would be held here moderated by GMA-7 and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. With reports from Kristine Angeli Sabillo, INQUIRER.net/RAM

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