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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Bishops, gov't, groups ink pact on clean polls
MANILA -- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), government agencies, and non-government groups signed on Tuesday a covenant for honest, orderly, and peaceful elections on May 14.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of CBCP, said it is important for the public to be vigilant to prevent another repeat of fraud that marred the May 2004 presidential elections.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
"We exhort everyone to be vigilant, to pray and to offer penance for this intention. Let us accompany with extreme vigilance and prayer the crucial period of campaigning, voters' education, transporting of election paraphernalia, poll watching, and very especially, the canvassing and reporting of votes," Lagdameo said.
He added that all acts of violence and cheating, including vote padding and vote shaving, must be condemn as immoral.
Lagdameo appealed for support to the campaign for a credible election being conducted by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa), National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente), and the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
He also directed parishes nationwide to organize prayer vigils in their respective dioceses to protect the sanctity of the ballot and the entire process.
Signing the covenant were CBCP and representatives of Comelec, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Department of Education (DepEd), PNP-National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Armed Forces of the Philippines-National Capital Region Command (AFP-NCRCom), Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), National Press Club (NPC), and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.
CBCP secretary-general Monsignor Juanito Figura said the military-initiated covenant signing is important "because its gives a new paradigm in looking at the electoral process."
For her part, PPCRV chairperson Henrietta de Villa said the accord is aimed at generating public interest among the electorate.
AFP-NCRCom chief Benjamin Dolorfino said they decided to be part of the covenant primarily to erase the wrong impression formed against the military following the "Hello Garci" wiretapping scandal wherein some military officials were allegedly involved in the manipulation of the results of the 2004 elections. (MSN/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (April 25, 2007 issue)
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