CEBU Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal looks forward to the day when election monitors like C-Cimpel will become “superfluous and useless on election day.”
During a thanksgiving celebration yesterday of the group’s volunteers, Cardinal Vidal said having no election watchdogs would mean Filipinos have learned to reject a culture of corruption in elections.
“I do not say this to demean your sacrifices or to disparage your work. I say this as a wish that someday, Philippine elections will have become so honest and efficient that there would not be any need for watchdogs and anti-cheating mechanisms,” he said.
While the Cebu-Citizens’ Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-Cimpel) held its thanksgiving at the Archbishop’s Palace, police officials also downplayed charges of fraud in the May 10 elections.
Instead of taking the allegations “hook, line and sinker,” PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa said people need to see the evidence that supports each claim.
Verzosa visited Cebu yesterday for the awarding ceremony of the private stakeholders and police personnel who helped make the elections in Central Visayas peaceful and credible.
The church and police officials’ expressions of confidence in the May 10 polls come amid charges of fraud, made last week before the House of Representatives’ committee on suffrage and electoral reforms.
Cardinal Vidal said the country still has a long way to go in making its elections clean and honest. He encouraged the police and concerned citizens to continue contributing to the country’s quest for honest governance.
But if there are no last-minute hitches and maneuvers, the May 10 election “will go in the annals of our history as one of the most peaceful and most efficient,” said the archbishop.
He said he looks forward to the day when both candidates and voters will be so vigilant, there will be no need for election watchdogs.
“The day C-Cimpel will no longer be needed will be the day of its greatest triumph,” said Vidal.
C-Cimpel is a church-based, political, non-government organization that has served as an election monitor in Cebu since 1992. Until this year’s automated elections, it conducted a parallel count of the results, based on election returns obtained by its watchers in the precincts.
Cardinal Vidal commended and thanked yesterday the 17,111 C-Cimpel volunteers who worked hard and sacrificed during the election and contributed to its success.
At the PNP ceremony, Director General Verzosa reminded the public to consider the credibility of those raising doubts about the election results.
“First, reflect on the person that is raising that doubt. Maybe, analyze first what his motivation could be, or what his standing was after the elections. Most of those that are now bringing out some doubts are those who lost,” Versoza said.
In his speech, Versoza said, he intended to personally thank stakeholders for their support of the police during the election period.
Challenges
Before the May 10 polls, Versoza identified some uncertainties such as the reliability of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines, power supply, the readiness and loyalty of security personnel and the frontline workers’ commitment to be “morally and spiritually” ready to conduct an honest, orderly and peaceful election.
“Let us be proud of what we have done before, during and after the election,” he said.
Overall, the Visayas, particularly Central and Western Visayas, were among the most peaceful regions in the country during the May 10 elections, he said.
The PNP’s top official commended the Police Regional Office 7 for a job well-done and for coming up with “a little Camp Crame” in the region that duplicated all the programs in the national headquarters and put up a media center for election-related briefings.
The Cebu Citizens-Press Council (CCPC) and the PNP-Defense Press Corps (Depp) are among the organizations honored in yesterday’s ceremony.
Sun.Star Cebu journalists Cherry Ann T. Lim, CCPC assistant executive director, and Mia E. Abellana, Depp president, received the awards for the two organizations.
Other recipients are the Central Command, C-Cimpel, the National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Energy, Smart Communications, Dilaab Movement and the Philippine Long Distance Telecommunications.
PRO 7 Director Lani-o Nerez was awarded with a Medalya ng Katangi-Tanging Gawa (Most Outstanding Achievement Medal).
The Medalya ng Kagalingan was given to Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, Insp. Joselier Deveyra, SPO4 Ricaredo Ortiz, PO3 Jose Erwin Dumaguit, PO1 Arquimedes Olaciman, Senior Insp. Ricky Neron, PO3 Bernard Calzada, PO2 Alicon Quianlod, Supt. Julian Entoma, Insp. Ariel Arellano and PO1 Julius Cesar Tampus.