All set for 2010 election peace covenant signing

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - A peace covenant signing for provincial and local candidates is scheduled on March 10, a top official of Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) said here, in support of the nationwide campaign of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a credible and peaceful elections.

Senior Superintendent Epifanio Bragais, Jr. said the Comelec and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in close coordination with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Aklan headed by chairman Augusto Tolentino initiate the peace covenant signing at St. John the Baptist Cathedral at about 8 a.m.

"The peace pact involves candidates for the May 10 elections and representatives from Comelec and PNP to commit ourselves to attain a credible, orderly and honest elections," he said.

Earlier, the local candidates in the town of Batan signed a peace covenant on March 1 witnessed by the PNP, Comelec, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the tri-media in Aklan at the Batan parish church.

Meanwhile, candidates for mayor, vice mayor and councilors in the town of Libacao also inked a peace covenant on March 7 at the Libacao church after a holy mass.

Although there was no history of election-related violence in Aklan, the peace advocates spearheaded the election peace covenant signing among the administration and opposition candidates.

Aklan Police and Defense Press Corps, in a statement, also expressed support for the signing of election covenant to attain credible elections across the province.

The candidates are expected to follow strictly the provisions of the election covenant, especially the Comelec guidelines on campaign materials, not to resort to violence or deploy armed groups for the election period.

As this developed, Comelec 'Operation Kakas' is intensified to remove illegally placed campaign materials in non-designated areas. Common poster areas identified by the Comelec are the barangay halls, plazas, schools and public markets.

Bragais said the covenant signing for the remaining municipalities is undertaken by the local Comelec and the police stations for this year's automated polls. Six gun ban violators, so far, were arrested by APPO following the implementation of Comelec Resolution No. 8714 last January 10, he added.