Bacolod City – Amid threats of another Kanlaon volcano eruption, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, 303rd Infantry Brigade, and the Philippine Coast Guard gave their commitments to ensure that the May 12 elections in the province will be peaceful and orderly.
The assurance was made by Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander; PCol. Rainerio de Chavez; and Commander Jan Terazona, acting Northern Negros Occidental Coast Guard chief, during the signing of a peace covenant at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City, recently.
“In light of the hardships we face, particularly the impending Mt. Kanlaon eruption, I assure you that NOCPPO will stand firm in our duty. We pledge to provide security, ensuring that despite the challenges, the electoral process also remains our priority,” De Chavez said.
Dumosmog also said that more than 1,000 soldiers and paramilitary troops will secure the electorate, candidates, and poll workers during the elections on May 12.
At least 13 out of the 41 official candidates for governor, vice governor, board members, and legislative district representatives signed the peace covenant, together with De Chavez and officials of the Commission Elections, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Army, and Philippine Coast Guard.
Three congressional candidates were among the signatories, including Victorias City Mayor Javier Benitez, third district; Lea Delfinado, a former assistant secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, fourth district; and re-electionist Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo, fifth district.
Other incumbent officials who attended the peace covenant signing were those running for board member, including Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo, fourth district, as well as board member Sixto Guanzon Jr. and Sagay City councilor Arthur Christopher Marañon, both for the second district.
De Chavez said the peace covenant “symbolizes collaboration among all stakeholders, signifying a united stand against electoral violence and misconduct.”
He called on candidates to run their campaigns with honesty, engage in healthy discourse, and prioritize the well-being of the community.
Provincial elections supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said that while elections are a time for the people to express their choices and exercise the right to self-governance, such right comes with “the responsibility to participate in a process that is fair, respectful and peaceful.” (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star with Philippine News Agency reports)