Comelec to hold covenant signing after Holy Week
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to hold a peace covenant signing among candidates at the provincial level after the Holy Week.
While they have yet to finalize a date, Comelec Cebu Acting Provincial Election Supervisor Eliseo Labaria said the activity will serve as a reminder for candidates to keep the polls peaceful from the local campaign period up until election day.
“This is one instrument that will make the elections peaceful,” Labaria told reporters yesterday.
Campaign period for the local level begins on March 25 while election day is slated on May 9.
Candidates for governor, vice governor, provincial board members, and representatives will be invited to the activity.
Labaria added, however, that their attendance is not mandatory.
Peace covenant-signing activities have been held in several local governments in the province earlier, including Carcar City and other parts of Cebu.
He said that for the provincial level, they are looking at the Cebu Provincial Police Office headquarters, a public plaza, or a church as venue.
Liberal Party (LP) bets in Carcar City were a no-show during the ceremony held at the city hall earlier this month because, according to them, the venue was not “neutral ground.”
Carcar City is headed by Mayor Nicepuro Apura of the Gullas-led Alayon Party.
Gov. Hilario Davide III, LP Cebu chairman, said that he welcomed this activity and would even encourage his partymates to attend.
One Cebu gubernatorial bet Winston Garcia, on the other hand, said he and his slate will support and cooperate if Comelec will spearhead a peace covenant-signing among provincial candidates.
“Any activity that will be done to achieve peace is laudable,” he said in a statement sent to Cebu Daily News.
Meanwhile, Comelec has also extended the deadline for filing of applications for local absentee voting to March 31 from the original deadline of March 7.
Comelec Cebu Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde, in a separate interview, said that local absentee voting is meant for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), teachers and media who will be working on election day.
Gujilde encouraged those who still haven’t registered to apply for absentee voting, especially now that Comelec has extended the deadline.
None from the media registered so far.
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