LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, — Benguet candidates pledged to a peaceful election this upcoming May 2019 midterm elections.
Even with the expected generally peaceful elections in the province of Benguet, the Commission on Elections Benguet Provincial Office spearheaded the signing of the Integrity Pledge with the candidates for the different posts in the province last week.
COMELEC Benguet Election Supervisor lawyer Elenita Julia Tabangin-Capuyan said that the signing by the candidates aims to renew their commitments to continue making the province of Benguet the most peaceful and orderly province during elections.
“Through the peace covenant signing, candidates can renew their promise that there will be no violence, no threats, rather they would have good faith and sincerity and will be good sport even after the elections,” she said.
Capuyan stressed that Benguet, ever since, has been very peaceful. “It’s 99-percent peaceful, as there has never been cases of election-related violence in the province. Hopefully, it’s an accurate prediction that there will also be no violence in the future.”
During the campaign period, she said the candidates focus more on what they have done or what they want to do if given the chance to take a particular government post.
In Bokod town, it has been a practice that candidates campaign together as one in the same community at the same time. These candidates, regardless of political parties, go the different barangays together and present their platforms to the people during forums and meetings.
Aside from the peace covenant, the COMELEC also conducted a voter’s education for the candidates.
The voters’ education touched on gender and development (GAD), voters’ rights, the filing of their respective Statement of Contribution and Expenditures (SOCE), the filing of the BIR fees and the do’s and don’ts during the campaign season.
After the voter’s education, the candidates were also taught by the COMELEC on how to fill up COMELEC forms and the accomplishment of their SOCEs to be filed after the election season, win or lose.
More voter’s education will be conducted in the province in the coming days and weeks. **JDP/RMC- PIA CAR
