All systems go for last presidential debate in Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan—Everything is in place for the third and last presidential debate to be held on Sunday at the University of Pangasinan (UPang), with security measures laid out and residents alerted about the debate’s impact on traffic and mobility.

The street fronting UPang will be closed to traffic and only vehicles of presidential candidates and their guests will be allowed to pass, according to Superintendent Christopher Abrahano, police chief here.

“But we will also allow ambulances and vehicles of doctors going to the Region 1 Medical Center,” said Abrahano.

Another street at the back of the university will also be closed to traffic. Only vehicles dropping off candidates’ supporters will be allowed to pass and park at a designated area.

The back gate of the university will be used as the entrance for the debate’s audience. The front gate will be for candidates and their guests.

Debate sponsor television network ABS-CBN said the five presidential candidates have been given 100 tickets each for their supporters and political allies, who will compose the audience.

Some 600 tickets have been proportionately distributed to the local sectors, in coordination with the Commission on Elections.

Abrahano has advised ticket holders not to bring backpacks, drinking water and food inside the university, or they will be refused entry.

“We expect candidates’ supporters to flock [to the] front of the university but the area fronting the university’s main gate will be an exclusion zone,” Abrahano said.

He said that first aid stations with ambulances will be established in strategic locations around the university.

“We will be deploying 700 personnel from the different police and military units for the event,” said Abrahano. RAM

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