By Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged the local candidates here to promote clean and peaceful elections on May 13.
City Election Officer Mavil Majarucon-Sia made the call after the Comelec, together with the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, led a unity walk, prayer rally, and peace covenant signing at the Bacolod public plaza on Sunday.
“We just want to remind them, our mandate is to make sure that we have clean, honest and credible elections. They have to bear with us, if from time to time, we send them notices in relation to their violations of the campaign rules,” she said.
The candidates who attended the signing activity were mostly from the ruling Grupo Progreso led by reelectionists Rep. Greg Gasataya and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, who both said their presence shows their support to the call of the poll body.
Part of the covenant read: “I sign this Integrity Pledge for free, orderly honest, peaceful and credible elections, and through my words and actions commit to abide by the tenets of our Constitution, election laws, rules and regulations, respecting the sanctity of our electoral exercise.”
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who went to Kalibo, Aklan, to fulfill an annual religious vow, missed the peace covenant signing, but said in a statement that he is “very willing to sign (it) and would gladly do so anytime when he comes back.”
He added that his signatures in the peace covenant in all previous elections were as good for the coming elections.
Sia said the signing of the integrity pledge during the ceremony was merely symbolic since the candidates already signed a similar document when they filed their certificates of candidacy last October.
“We hope and pray that this will be a peaceful and credible elections for Bacolod City so we can maintain our record. In the May 2016 elections, Region 6 (Western Visayas) was awarded as the most peaceful region,” she added.
Chief Insp. Ariel Pico, public information officer of BCPO, said the activity in Bacolod has been successful as part of the simultaneous kickoff of the election period nationwide.
Only a few of the candidates were not able to attend, he added.
Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, who attended the separate unity walk and peace covenant signing for provincial candidates in Negros Occidental at the Capitol Lagoon and Park, said the Philippine Army supports the poll body in its aim for peaceful and orderly elections.
“Our mandate is to guarantee the safety and orderliness of the coming elections. To all the stakeholders, I said if we can walk together, we can work together,” he added.
