In Zambales, bets told: Don’t promise the moon

OLONGAPO CITY—The priest who heads the Social Action Center of Zambales has urged local candidates to make no promises that they cannot keep as the campaign period for the May 9 elections approaches.

Fr. John Mara, who also serves as the parish priest of Sta. Rita Church here, made the appeal during the peace covenant signing by local candidates in the city on Friday.

At least 50 politicians seeking local posts here and in the first congressional district of Zambales province signed the covenant, which was initiated by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the local police.

“Promises are not made to be broken. If you make promises to the people then you should fulfill them,” Mara told the candidates in his homily during a Mass before the signing.

He reminded them that “power is intoxicating.”

“Let’s stand for what’s right and true. Truth at times will make our lives miserable but the truth will set us free,” he said.

Senior Supt. Jerry Sumbad, Olongapo police director, said he was hoping that the peace covenant would inspire the candidates to be united during the campaign period.

“What we want to achieve through the signing of this peace covenant is to have orderly elections,” he said.

In Bulacan province, the towns of San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Baliwag and Donya Remedios Trinidad, and the cities of San Jose del Monte and Meycauayan have been placed on the police election watch list due to intense political rivalry between candidates, said Senior Supt. Ferdinand Divina, Bulacan police director.

In the Ilocos region, Pangasinan has been classified as an election watch area. Allan Macatuno, with reports from Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon, and Johanne Margaret Macob and Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon