Bacolod poll bets urged to abide by Comelec campaign rules

BACOLOD CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in this city has urged candidates and their supporters to abide by the rules during the campaign for the May 9 national and local elections.

City Election Officer Revo Sorbito issued the call during the launching of the “Kasimbayanan for S.A.F.E. 2022” organized by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) led by city director Col. Thomas Joseph Martir on Thursday afternoon.

“We invite candidates for local positions in Bacolod to pledge or abide with our guidelines, our laws, our rules and Comelec resolutions, and to exert very conscious effort to make this elections honest, credible and especially peaceful,” he told reporters.

Sorbito said based on the common assessment of the City Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center during their latest meeting, Bacolod is “generally peaceful as of this moment”.

The taking of the oath of commitment for peaceful elections and the signing of the peace covenant held at the BCPO headquarters was attended by independent candidates for various positions, including former Councilor Ricardo Tan, who is seeking a comeback for the same post.

In a virtual program, candidates of Grupo Progreso led by reelectionists Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, and congressional bet Dan Atayde gathered at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center.

Team Asenso Bacolod headed by mayoralty bet Alfredo Benitez and running mate former councilor Caesar Distrito, as well as reelectionist Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya, held a separate peace covenant signing in a venue along La Salle Avenue in Barangay Villamonte on Wednesday.

Based on the peace covenant, the candidates pledged to focus on their respective platforms of governance and to refrain from attacking the personal lives of their fellow candidates.

Also, they vowed to avoid vote-buying, all forms of election fraud and use of threats, and to refrain from spending beyond what is lawfully permitted.

Moreover, they committed to be held accountable for the actions of their election campaign leaders and to accept nobly the results of the election and respect whatever will be the decision of the people.

“This is a very important event that is why Grupo Progreso came in full force. We believe in the spirit and intent of the peace covenant,” Leonardia said in a statement. (PNA)