Miriam arrives in CDO for first presidential debate

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. GIL CABACUNGAN/INQUIRER

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines — Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago arrived here Sunday past noon for the first presidential debate to be held at Capitol University starting 5 p.m.

Santiago with her staff took a Philippine Airlines flight originally scheduled to depart Manila at 9:35 a.m. but it left at past 11 a.m. due to change of aircraft and air congestion.

Other than Santiago, the rest of the presidential candidates — Vice President Jejomar Binay, administration-backed Mar Roxas, Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are expected to attend the event.

READ: Duterte: I won’t let Mindanao down in debate

The first presidential debate in two decades was organized by the Commission on Elections, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and GMA 7.

The feisty senator seemed to have been preparing for the debate.

On Saturday, she posted a photo of the lawn of her Quezon City home with a caption: “It’s a lovely Saturday afternoon. I’m studying for the Comelec Pilipinas Debates 2016, which will be held tomorrow at Capitol University, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can watch it live at GMA 7.”

A known public speaker, it has yet to be seen whether the debate will give a boost to her consistently poor standing in election surveys, ranking fifth among all the candidates. In the last Social Weather Stations Survey conducted early this month, she got only 4 percent.

READ: Binay, Roxas slip in latest SWS poll; Duterte, Poe tied in 2nd

Santiago, who claims to have beaten her stage four lung cancer, is a social media darling and has the most number of followers on Twitter and Facebook compared to her opponents.

Saturday’s event will only be her third public appearance after the campaign period started on Feb. 9.

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