The candidates’ Forum of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) dubbed as “Your Voice, My Choice” will be staged on Monday at the Bohol Wisdom School gymnasium starting at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Confirmed to be present are the congressional candidates for the 3rd district of Bohol, namely Vice Gov. Dionisio Balite, retired Judge Carlos Fernando and Board Member Alexie Tutor. Former Carmen Mayor Cheche Toribio delos Reyes begged off due to an important meeting she has to attend in Manila.
The candidates will elaborate on topics and questions about livelihood/living condition, environment, food security or agriculture, power, water, sanitation/sewerage (water treatment facility), tourism, information technology, investment, and transportation or traffic.
During the candidates forum, the candidates will be seated side by side on the stage and will be provided with a table for them to be comfortably seated while taking down notes.
Each candidate will be called in alphabetical order and given three minutes to introduce himself/herself by answering the question ”Why should the Boholano people vote for me?”
They are allowed to convey their thoughts in the English or Cebuano.
Questions for the candidates have been collected from local business associations, NGOs, CSOs and POs prior to the Forum and sorted and screened by a Committee of three led by Helena Antonieta Veloso.
The questions will be asked during the forum in English and may be translated in Visayan, and in a systematic order by the moderator who shall himself decide the sequence in which the individual candidates shall answer each question.
There should be no heckling from any of the candidates and the audience; any hecklers will be immediately ejected by the police.
No clapping of hands for any candidates while they are talking. Clapping is only be allowed once the candidate is finished with his/her talk.
The number of supporters in the venue is limited to a maximum of 50 only.
No bringing of band or any musical instrument is allowed inside the venue, else the instruments will be confiscated.
Each question will be answered in not more than three minutes.
A timer-clock-buzzer is assigned for this purpose. A warning bell will ring after two minutes and 30 seconds, and a buzzer will alarm after the three minutes has been consumed.
Candidates should stick to answering the question and should not make unnecessary and unfriendly remarks especially towards fellow candidates.
Those who will not follow the rules, his/her microphone will be cut off.
To end the forum, each candidate is given three minutes for his/her closing statement.
As part of the closing, the Comelec shall brief the candidates regarding honest, orderly and peaceful elections.