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Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Church calls for prayers, fasting
By Avelyn Z. Agudon and Christine Mae A. Pelayo
AS ELECTION day nears, the Dioceses of Bacolod, Kabankalan and San Carlos urged the Catholic faithful to join the silent reflection and Eucharistic exposition scheduled Thursday morning until noontime for clean and peaceful polls.
Fr. Aniceto Buenafe, director of the Social Action Center, said those who will join are encouraged to take only bread and water for lunch in the spirit of prayer and sacrifice.
This developed as Senior Supt. Mario Avenido, city police director, said he already met with Lawyer Daisy Real, local Commission on Election officer, to finalize plans for the forthcoming elections.
Avenido added aside from the masterplan, the Bacolod City Police Office also has its contingency plan for a possible unprecedented or surprise power outage.
Real, who was Tuesday's guest speaker of the flag raising ceremony at the BCPO, on the other hand, stressed the police's active role to ensure peaceful elections.
The police, earlier, were deputized by Comelec for the elections.
Real said Lawyer Marsha Cordero, the provincial election supervisor, and Supt. Mark Edison Belarma, acting provincial police director, has coordinated with them to iron out details for an orderly and violent-free elections not just in Bacolod City but also in the whole province.
Avenido cited concerns that were already settled such as the peace covenant signing conducted Friday last week between opposing political candidates in the cities of Talisay, Silay and Bacolod.
Silent march
On Thursday, Fr. Buenafe said at 1 p.m., a silent march and a symbolic cleaning of the Bacolod Public Plaza will take place to be followed by a short program.
Today, the country's politics - the way it is being practiced - is harmful to the people and is considered the biggest bane in people's life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle in achieving full human development, he added.
"We badly need national cleansing from institutional sins, especially in the political arena," he said.
He also said personal and social cleansing go hand in hand with prayers and fasting.
He called on all people with goodwill, generosity, love and concern for the common good to join the cleansing and wholesome act of reparation on the day of prayer and fasting for clean and honest election.
Power problem
On the other hand, the police are coordinating with the power suppliers in the city to prevent a possible power problem on May 10, particularly during the crucial counting and canvassing period.
Avenido disclosed that they also prepared police escorts for Comelec personnel tasked with the transport of ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia.
“We have an ample number of motor vehicles to be utilized for the transport of the election paraphernalia and we also have sufficient personnel to escort election personnel including teachers, if needed,” said Avenido.
Moreover, reports said observers from other countries who are already here in the city and the province to monitor this year's election process.
"It is time that we can show to these people (foreigners) that we can hold an electoral process as peacefully and professionally as possible," said Avenido.
Avenido further said the police already assigned its personnel in strategic areas to secure peace and order.
However, he cannot yet disclose the specific assignments of these personnel. “It is advantageous on our part that the polling precincts are clustered for the counting,” said Avenido.
(May 4, 2004 issue)
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