Mandaue City BSKE 2023 candidates sign peace covenant for safe and orderly elections

AROUND 500 candidates for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Mandaue City signed a Peace Covenant Agreement (PCA) on Sept. 20, 2023, to ensure a safe and orderly BSKE.

Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, the deputy city director for administration and spokesperson of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), stated that the purpose of this event was to help BSKE candidates understand their role in ensuring a safe and peaceful BSKE and to demonstrate their commitment to public service.

The ceremony took place at the National Shrine of St. Joseph Church in Barangay Centro, Mandaue City, and was attended by representatives from various law enforcement agencies in Mandaue, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Navy, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Mandaue Office.

In addition to the PCA signing, participants also took part in a Unity Walk and a Holy Mass.

Gun Ban

Regarding the gun ban, Lieutenant Colonel Oriol mentioned that there have been no reported violations or incidents since it began on Aug. 29.

He said they conduct daily checkpoints throughout Mandaue to enforce the ban, which will remain in effect until Nov. 29. Moreover, no election-related violence has been recorded so far, and they aim to maintain this peaceful environment even after the BSKE on Oct. 30.

Lieutenant Colonel Oriol also mentioned that Mandaue has remained peaceful, similar to the last local and national elections in May 2022.

He said they plan to deploy at least 465 additional police personnel to man polling precincts one day before the BSKE. Furthermore, they may assign additional police personnel to barangays with larger voting centers and higher voting populations, such as Paknaan, Canduman, and Pagsabungan.

The Comelec Mandaue Office has started preparing materials required for the BSKE, including voter lists and other election paraphernalia. They have also completed the selection of members for the Electoral Board to facilitate the Mandaue BSKE.