ILOILO CITY -- Some 1,600 local candidates from the six districts in this city signed a peace covenant this week as part of their commitment for a peaceful and orderly Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14.
Initiated by the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), led by its director Senior Supt. Henry Biñas, and in partnership with representatives the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the peace covenant signing was separately conducted in different areas in each district.
Jaro district contributed the highest number of candidates who signed the peace covenant with 500 candidates.
Following Jaro is Lapaz district with 300 candidates; City Proper, 250; districts of Arevalo and Molo, each with 200; and Mandurriao district with 150 candidates.
Based on the data of Comelec-Iloilo City office, there are 5,175 candidates in this city for the incoming polls. A total of 396 filed for village chief and 3,103 for councilor while 386 filed for SK chairman and 1,290 for councilor.
Senior Inspector Shella Mae Sangrines, the spokesperson of ICPO, on Saturday said the peace covenant encouraged local bets to lead in the conduct of “clean and fair elections”.
“They committed to lead so that their supporters and other voters will unite for peaceful and orderly elections and that they will not be engaged in any act of cheating,” she said in an interview.
There are three villages in this city that are under the election watch list areas (EWAs) based on the report of the Police Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas). (PNA)
