Cebu City Hall —FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY––Three days before the start of the local campaign period, candidates in Cebu signed a covenant to work for peaceful and orderly elections on May 9.
The candidates on Tuesday, March 22, affixed their names on a peace covenant billboard before the presence of different religious leaders.
“This peace covenant signing may seem ceremonial. It may even appear hypocritical to some, but to the simple living Sugboanons, it shows our commitment to peace and a manifestation of our burning desire to respect the mandate of the people,” said Col. Engelbert Soriano, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office.
The event, organized by the local police and the Commission on Elections (Comelec), was attended by candidates for governor, vice governor, congressmen, and board members from the first to seventh districts of Cebu, as well as candidates for the top posts in Cebu City.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, the head of One Cebu, the province’s most dominant political party, expressed hopes for safe and peaceful elections amid differences in political affiliations.
“As governor of this beloved, incredible one in a million province that has shown the rest of the country how to move on, move forward, and soar even to greater heights, I can commit here and now that even amid all chaos and disorder that we may perhaps experience in the midst of darkness and gloom, I will always look forward to more shining moments for our beloved Cebu,” she said.
Garcia is seeking reelection against former Tourism secretary and Cebu gubernatorial candidate Joseph “Ace” Durano, who signed the covenant.
Durano implored the poll body to include in the covenant a rule against the unauthorized removal of campaign posters.
“Maybe we should add the rule against tearing down tarpaulins if it is not yet included in the covenant,” he said.
In Cebu City, a peace covenant was also signed by Mayor Michael Rama and mayoral candidates Councilor David Tumulak, and former city councilor Margot Osmeña.
Provincial Elections Supervisor Jerome advised candidates to avoid violence in the course of the campaign.
“We will adhere to peace. We, in the Comelec, as well as our partners will provide equal and peaceful elections. Together with the police, we will not hesitate to repel force by force,” he said.
Brillantes said the peace covenant was not just any ordinary covenant.
“I just like to remind the candidates that this covenant is made (in front of) God. There is a condition stipulated therein that is an agreement between you and God,” he said.
“That is why we invited our priest, the pastors, and imam to witness and bless this event,” he added.
The campaign period for local candidates starts on Friday, March 25, and ends on May 7.
Campaigning on April 14 (Maundy Thursday) and April 15 (Good Friday) is prohibited.