SEVERAL mayors in Negros Oriental and Bishop Julito Cortes of the Diocese of Dumaguete have thrown in their support for a peace initiative that would pave the way for “healing and recovery” of the people and the province after the March 4 gruesome murders in Pamplona.

Col. Alex Recinto, acting police provincial director, said on Tuesday that with Dauin Mayor Galicano Truita backing the proposed peace pact, he has started going around, paying courtesy calls on local officials and other agency heads to invite them to the proposed peace covenant.

“After the Pamplona mass shooting incident, we had consultations, for example with the business sector, and we have seen the effect of this, particularly on the economy of Negros Oriental,” Recinto said partly in Filipino.

He consulted the Dauin mayor and both decided to undertake an activity so people could move on from the effects of the Pamplona massacre.

“We (Truita and I) have appointed ourselves as ambassadors for peace and prosperity and we will visit all the mayors in the 25 cities and municipalities and invite them to a one-day peace covenant,” Recinto said.

He also emphasized that the activity is not just for peace but for prosperity as well, united in shared efforts to move forward amid the tragedy.

Recinto took over as acting provincial director on March 24, replacing Col. Reynaldo Lizardo, who headed the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office at the time of the murder of Governor Roel Degamo and many others inside his residential compound in Pamplona on March 4.

Aside from Truita, other mayors who have already committed to supporting this advocacy are from Dumaguete City, Amlan, Zamboanguita, Bayawan City, and Tanjay City.

Recinto said there is still no permanent date for the peace covenant, pending the completion of the courtesy calls and visits to the rest of the mayors.

Meanwhile, Recinto reassured Negros Oriental constituents that the police organization could still be trusted despite the alleged involvement of some of its uniformed personnel in crimes perpetrated in the province or having links to politicians implicated in the killings.

He apologized to the public for the many offenses committed against them by some PNP members as he urged the public to unite in maintaining peace and order in the province while aiming for progress and development. (PNA)