Unity Walk, Prayer Rally for Peaceful, Credible Midterm Elections Held

DAVAO ORIENTAL – As the election period has officially started, a huge crowd took the time to gather Sunday morning in the City of Mati to join the Unity Walk, Interfaith Prayer Rally, and Peace Covenant Signing for a peaceful, credible, and honest 2019 Midterm Elections.

Spearheaded by the Philippine National Police together with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the activity highlighted an interfaith prayer led by different religious denominations and the mass reciting of the voter’s pledge.

The activity saw hundreds of participants coming from different government agencies like the Philippine Army and PNP, private organizations, the academe, representatives from the religious sector, volunteer groups, and some of the candidates for the 2019 elections, among others.

Davao Oriental Police Provincial Office (DOPPO) Provincial Director PSSUPT Marcial Marciano Magistrado IV, said he was pleased in the turnout of participants on yesterday’s activity which was held to enjoin the voters, candidates, security forces, and government agencies to adhere to the call for a peaceful, orderly, and credible elections by abiding to the election rules and the law.

“The gathering signifies unison of all the electorates and the aspirants in demonstrating their genuine and laudable individual shares to uphold the integrity of the election process,” he said.

TIGHTENED SECURITY

PSSUPT Magistrado vowed the police force’s commitment as vanguards of peace and security in the province by implementing a strategic placement of security forces especially in those areas placed under the election watchlist. Magistrado said that in the province, there are 8 areas identified as watchlist areas. However, he assured that the security forces’ readiness to preempt election-related violence as they have tightened security efforts in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He added that security forces will intensify their anti-criminality campaign and anti-insurgency operations through Enhanced Managing Police Operations and strengthening of intelligence and counter-intelligence.

As part of the next steps, the PNP and the AFP have organized security forces that will secure the polling precincts, including the quick reaction team, additional security forces in election watchlist areas as well as the monitoring armed groups and criminal gangs.

Davao Oriental COMELEC Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Gay Enumerables said that while the election period has officially started, the COMELEC checkpoints have been installed in all municipalities and city of the province as of 12 midnight of January 13.

She said that the joint AFP and PNP checkpoints, which will operate until the end of the election period on June, are purposely setup to strictly implement the total gun ban.

She called on to all residents to abide by the law which prohibits carrying guns outside the residence. Electorates are reminded that under the gun ban law, having license to carry or permit to carry is considered void. Charges will be filed against those who will violate.

“Elections only comes once in every three years, we hope that the coming elections will be orderly for the province of Davao Oriental,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army, which is one of the lead agencies for peace and security, has also vowed its commitment to implement measures to ensure the peaceful conduct of the upcoming elections.

“All of our efforts are all for peace and development,” said 701st Brigade Commander Col. Manuel Sequitin, adding that the military will ensure that the people will take part on the democratic process which will determine the future leaders.

Col. Sequitin said that the military has forged coordination with their police counterparts in the setting up of a province-wide security. “We have already organized our elements,” he said, adding that the military will conduct additional immediate checkpoints if necessary.

He called on to the people of the province to cooperate with the authorities as “ensuring peaceful elections is not only the responsibility of the military and the police but a shared concern of everyone.” (Karen Lou Deloso)