CEBU CITY—Vice President Jejomar Binay wanted to be prepared.
Compared to his three competitors, Binay arrived earliest at the Performing Arts Hall of the University of the Philippines Cebu campus.
He went inside the two-story building at 4 p.m., an hour earlier than the 5 p.m. scheduled PiliPinas 2016 debate and proceeded inside the debate hall on the second floor to have a sound-check.
READ: No need for Binay to prepare for Cebu debate–UNA
He and his team then went down and out of the building 15 minutes later.
Among the four candidates attending the forum, only Binay had a sound check prior to the debate proper.
The security personnel at the UP Performing Arts Hall were strict especially in the number of entourage allowed for each candidate.
Each candidate can only bring six staff members to go with him or her at the VIP area and then the debate hall since the area could only accommodate 300 people.
But each candidate was allowed to bring 15 supporters to watch inside the debate hall.
Mar Roxas of Liberal Party, however, brought in more than six people. The rest of his entourage were not allowed to go 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 were about to close it.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who was the second earliest candidate to arrive next to Binay, 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 remark inside the debate hall at 4:38 p.m. when Sen. Grace Poe in a white dress walked into the building.
READ: Poe reading a lot, being briefed by experts for Cebu debate
After a short wave, she walked fast to the second floor to join 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 assembled at the soccer field to cheer for their bets during the debate that would be beamed live through the wide screen TV.