Unity walk kicks off poll period

A three-hour “unity walk” and prayer rally, organized by the Philippine National Police and participated in by some 3,500 persons on Sunday morning, marked the official start of the election period in Masbate, the police director in the province said.

Among those who took part in the unity walk were personalities from opposing political camps, according to Masbate PNP chief Senior Superintendent Heriberto Olitoquit.

Masbate is on the list of high-risk areas of the Commission on Elections and the PNP due to hotly contested electoral races.

During the walk around the thoroughfares of Masbate City, officials from the provincial government, municipal governments, national government agencies, Philippine Army and PNP joined candidates for various posts in Masbate, along with members of nongovernment and people’s organizations.

Participants included incumbent Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, who is running for reelection under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Rowena Tuason, who is running for mayor of Masbate City under the Liberal Party. Lanete and Tuason belong to rival political parties despite being relatives.

“The unity walk and prayer rally [seek] divine intercession in ensuring secure and fair elections on May 2013,” said Olitoquit.

During the prayer rally at Magallanes Coliseum, Supt. Jeffrey Fernandez, Masbate PNP deputy chief, vowed to keep the elections peaceful in the province, which has been perennially classified as an election hot spot due to heated races and the presence of partisan armed groups.

Just the morning before the unity walk and prayer rally, two top members of Arizobal armed group were arrested and disarmed by joint PNP operatives in Barangay (village) Gregorio Aliño in Dimasalang town, a known “sanctuary” of private armed groups that work for local politicians, Olitoquit said.

He identified the armed men as brothers Ramie Arizobal, 34, and Ariel Arizobal, 39.

Confiscated from the Arizobals were a defaced cal. .38 revolver, a hand grenade, a rifle grenade, two cal.  .45 handguns and ammunition for various firearms, including bullets for a cal.  5.56.

The seizure operation, according to Olitoquit, was part of the campaign against loose or unlicensed firearms, “which had been instruments of violence and had threatened the conduct of fair and peaceful elections in the province.” Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon