By NITZ ARANCON Correspondent IT’S all systems go, and all roads would lead to this city this Sunday for the first of three presidential debates ahead of the May elections. The five presidential candidates--Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor Santiago, and former Interior secretary Manuel Roxas II--have confirmed that they would come for the Feb. 21 debate at the Capitol University here, said Commission on Elections (Comelec) supervisor for Misamis Oriental Joseph Hamilton Cuevas. The debate is scheduled from 5 pm to 7 pm on Sunday, and it would be hosted by veteran TV anchors Mike Enriquez and Jessica Soho. Cuevas said security in and outside the CU would be stepped up, and the number of people who would be allowed inside would be limited to 1,800. He said 1,500 people would be allowed in the CU gymnasium where a widescreen video monitor would be set up to receive live feeds from the debate venue. Cuevas said each of the presidential candidates can bring 300 supporters into the CU gymnasium or a total of 1,500. He said GMA would be distributing tickets to the gymnasium. According to GMA Network’s corporate communications group, the CU mini-theater would serve as the venue of the debate, and only 300 people have been invited to see and hear the candidates up close. Among the 300 people given slots in the mini-theater are 25 “media observers” from various Mindanao-based news media organizations, including bloggers’ groups. GMA Network gave 13 of the 25 ‘‘media observers’’ slots to the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC), following their talks with Herbie Gomez, editor-in-chief of this paper and COPC corporate secretary. The COPC decided to have slots raffled off to city-based news media outfits and not individuals, particularly to those who have not received invitation letters. The “media observers” would be part of the debate audience, and have been asked not to bring media coverage equipment inside the CU mini-theater. According to GMA executives, reporters who want to do coverage work may do so in the designated “media center” outside the debate venue. Only journalists who have received their accreditation from the Comelec would be allowed to have access to the media center, Cuevas said. Cuevas said GMA Network was strict because of security concerns. He said people with no tickets, and reporters with no Comelec-accreditation would not be allowed in the CU premises. “No ticket and no accreditation, dili makasulod sa CU premises,” he said. A briefing for all accredited journalists has been scheduled at the Comelec regional office this afternoon. Ealier, the COPC protested the limitations in the media coverage of the debate, and asked organizers to consider after some of its officers and members called for a boycott. The COPC board however did not declare a boycott. Non-government organizations and politicians supported the Press Club. Charlito Manlupig, chairman emeritus of Balay Mindanaw Foundation, said they received a call from GMA 7, asking them to change their mind not to attend the debate. Balay Mindanaw earlier issued a statement supporting the position of the Press Club, saying they would not attend the debate, and were giving up 15 slots allotted to them by the organizers. “We hope that you understand that our decision is in solidarity with the local groups who we believe represent the legitimate concerns of communities in Mindanao,” Manlupig wrote. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District, said giving only 25 slots to local journalists would be a “gross discrimination” against the local press community. “All Cagayanons should join hands to protest this arbitrary and unjust treatment of our local media,” Rodriguez said. In his column on Feb. 16, John Nery of the Philippine Daily Inquirer described the setup of the incoming debate. “A candidate is given 90 seconds to answer a question, the candidate he or she is paired with in that round has 60 seconds to offer a rebuttal, then the first candidate has 30 seconds to issue a counterebuttal and close the argument,” Nery said. Nery said the questions to be fielded were derived from three “town hall meetings” conducted by the Inquirer in three different places in Mindanao to get the so-called “Mindanao agenda.” Rodriguez, who attended one of the town hall meetings, said some of the questions they wanted the candidates to answer are about agricultural development, peace process and the Mindanao railway project. Nery also explained the setup of the media center where journalists, accredited by Comelec, will be stationed. “All the presidential candidates have agreed to go to the media center after the debate to meet with the media present there,” he said.