THE Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 encouraged local government units (LGUs) to create peace covenants among candidates for the barangay elections.

In Cebu Province, the two barangays in Tuburan that have been placed under the barangay election watchlist have already done so.

“A peace covenant is a big deal and we always encourage our LGUs to initiate a peace covenant because this is a pledge and a commitment to the people that in their respective barangays, the conduct of elections will be peaceful. So we trust that these covenants will be honored,” PRO 7 Director Robert Quenery said.

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Edgar Okubo welcomed the peace covenant in Tuburan.

“The peace covenant is an indicator that the) candidates really want to have a peaceful election.The peace covenant is serious because it indicates that both sides are committed not to engage in any physical violence to win the election. Its a good indicator that the election in the place will be successful,” Okubo said in Tagalog.

He also encouraged candidates from other provinces to create a peace covenant.

Okubo said that they are in their final assessment whether to declare the whole town of Tuburan as an election watchlist area because of the possibility that election-related violence might spill over to other barangays.

“The situation can escalate. The presence of private armed groups in one barangay might move to another barangay and we need to address this,” Okubo said.