Peace covenant signing in Lapu-Lapu planned for next week
Efrain Pelaez, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) candidate for mayor in Lapu-Lapu City, won’t sign any peace covenant among candidates for peaceful elections.
“That is a useless exercise, and the same cheating and intimidation still goes on,” said Pelaez in a text message to Cebu Daily News yesterday when asked to comment on the planned peace covenant signing in Lapu-Lapu City.
Pelaez said he participated in peace covenant signing activities in the 2010 and 2013 elections, but he claimed that it did not prevent cheating and intimidation then.
Pelaez also ran for mayor in 2010 and 2013. He lost to incumbent Mayor Paz Radaza on both times.
He, however, assured in an earlier interview that he and his supporters will follow election rules and have never and won’t use intimidation in the campaign for the mayoralty post.
Senior Supt. Arnel Amor Libed, acting Lapu-Lapu City police chief, said he is coordinating with the leaders of the Our Lady of the Rule Parish to make the peace covenant signing possible, which is always done before the election campaign period.
Libed said that aside from the church, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials will also be invited to the activity.
He said they aim to hold the peace covenant signing activity next week.
The other three mayoralty candidates in the city have assured their participation.
Mayor Radaza, who is running for reelection under the Liberal Party, said she will sign the covenant.
“Maayo man sab hinoon kung dunay peace covenant signing, wala ko’y nakita nga problema ana,” said Radaza.
(It’s also good to have a peace covenant signing, I don’t see any problem to that).
She said she agrees with the taping of the muzzles of guns owned by candidates to make sure that peace will prevail during elections.
When asked to comment on why she failed to show up during the 2013 peace covenant signing at the Our Lady of the Rule Parish, which was then initiated by the church and Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Radaza said she had other priorities at that time, but added that she did show up later and signed the covenant in the presence of Fr. Jaime Duero.
Engineer Rolando Patalinghug, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) candidate for mayor, showed interest in participating in the peace covenant signing together with his party slate.
He said he finds the muzzle taping of firearms of all candidates a good idea.
Angel Rodriguez, the mayoralty candidate of a local party “Angel Team,” also said he and his slate will support a peace covenant and the muzzle taping of guns of candidates.
Rodriguez said that “Angel Team” is supported by the United Nationalist Alliance.