VM asks IBP Cebu City to move debate on May 10

THE debate between Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and Mayor Tomas Osmeña that is scheduled for Monday, May 6, will not push through.

Labella is asking the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City chapter, the debate organizer, to reschedule the activity.

In a Facebook post last Saturday, May 4, the vice mayor posted a copy of his letter addressed to lawyer Regal Oliva, IBP Cebu City chapter president.

“I accepted the IBP invitation to the debate originally scheduled on April 22, 2019. However, the IBP postponed the debate to May 6, 2019 and I received the copy of the postponement letter only on April 24 (or 2 days after the original debate schedule) which effectively denied me the opportunity to agree or disagree to the new date of the debate,” read a portion of the post.

Labella wants organizers to hold the debate on Friday, May 10.

He said he has an important meeting in Manila on May 6.

“Thus, I am constrained to request the IBP Cebu City chapter to postpone the debate to May 10, 2019 so that I will be given the opportunity to participate in this debate,” he said.

In a separate Facebook post, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he has no problem if the debate is moved to May 10.

“The final conference call for the debate was yesterday (Friday, May 3). You were absent but your representatives agreed to everything. Ok ko sa (I’m okay with) May 10. Pero ngano karon ra ka mag-inform (But why now)? Ngita’g palusot na Liebella (Maybe he doesn’t want to attend)?” Osmeña wrote.

IBP Cebu City chapter officers met with candidates last Friday to discuss the rules of the debate.

As of Saturday night, May 4, Oliva had yet to issue a statement on Labella’s request.