BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Incumbent local officials and other political aspirants for the May 9 elections in Negros Occidental yesterday signed a peace covenant for honest, orderly and peaceful elections at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City, witnessed by key officials of the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center.
Among the signatories of peace covenant were gubernatorial candidates John Orola and Ma. Socorri Sibulan, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer and vice gubernatorial bet Jonry Gargarita, Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, congressional aspirants Emilio Yulo and Anthony Javelosa (5th district);
Board member re-electionists Andrew Montelibano and Jose Benito Alonso, board member aspirants Antonio Barello Jr, Tukoy Occida, Cleo Gauidite, Boyet Espinosa, Herman Gatuslao, Patrick Montilla and Anton Occeno.
PLt. Abegael Donasco, deputy spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said that re-electionist Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson was not able to attend since he is still isolating himself after testing positive for COVID-19.
Donasco also said that candidates for various elected positions in cities of Kabankalan, Victorias, Bago, Talisay, as well as municipalities of Hinigaran, Pontevedra, San Enrique and Pulupandan also signed the peace covenant.
The candidates also pledged to support the conduct of clean, honest, accurate and meaningful election, to refrain from attacking personal lives of their fellow poll bets, not to engage in vote buying and all forms of election fraud, as well as the use of threats.
They also vowed to observe and focus on their respective platform of government in campaigning, and to abide results of the election.
The signing of peace covenant was witnessed by Provincial Comelec supervisor Roberto Salazar, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, and PCol. Leo Pamittan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, among others.
Donasco said that police chiefs in other towns and cities in the province are also being encouraged to hold similar activities in their respective areas.
As to the probable election hotspots in the province, Donasco said the number remains at three, including Moises Padilla and Escalante City, where election-related incidents took place in previous elections, as well as a local government unit in southern Negros which she refused to identify.
It can still change, she stressed, adding that the validation process is still ongoing.*
