OPPOSING camps for various electoral posts in this city yesterday signed for “Hope” or “honest, orderly, and peaceful elections” after a Holy Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral here.
Signed before officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Commission on Elections and Philippine National Police, the camps led by reelectionist City of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago and mayor wannabe Association of Barangay Captains President Vilma Caluag both pledged to uphold the sanctity of ballots for the coming May elections for the welfare of Fernandinos.
Under the covenant and integrity pledge, the candidates swore to abide by the tenets of the Constitution, election laws, rules and regulations, and respect the sanctity of the electoral exercise through their words and actions for honest, orderly, and peaceful elections.
The candidates further vowed not to employ any form of violence, force or threat that may impair, impede or unduly influence the free exercise of people’s rights of suffrage.
Further, the candidates promised “to ensure the prompt, accurate reporting and disclosure of campaign-related expenses,” stressing that they “will not offer or give bribes or gifts to corrupt the integrity of the democratic process.”
In order to properly gain the people’s mandate, the candidates also pledged “to respect the norms of conduct expected of public servants” and “commit to run a clean campaign, observe fairness, common decency, honesty and good faith.”
They stressed that they “shall fight discrimination in all forms, promote gender sensitivity during the campaign and not tolerate any form of violence against women in politics. (JTD)