INTEGRITY PLEDGE. Samar First District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento signs an integrity pledge for peaceful elections in the province on Tuesday (March 29, 2022). The signing is an expression of commitment to attain secured, accurate, free, and fair elections this year. (Photo courtesy of DJ Rene Castino)
TACLOBAN CITY – Candidates in Samar province signed an integrity pledge on Tuesday expressing their commitment to attaining secured, accurate, free, and fair elections this year.
Key officials witnessed the signing of a peace pact at the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division headquarters in Catbalogan City, Samar.
Specifically, local politicians committed not to resort to vote-buying, violence, misinformation, and cyber-attacks.
They also pledged to follow minimum public health standards during rallies.
Present during the event were National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos, and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Erwin Garcia.
“We are positive that candidates will abide by the pledge. This is the President’s birthday wish. This is not for himself, but for all of you here in Eastern Visayas,” Esperon said.
Centino told Samar officials that the signing allows the AFP to follow the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to secure the upcoming polls.
“We have sufficient forces to ensure peaceful elections. We will organize units for election duties and deploy them where they are needed,” Centino said.
Carlos congratulated Samar officials for accepting the responsibility to conform to higher standards of integrity.
“We ask the public, candidate, and all stakeholders to be with us in making sure that we will have a peaceful election on May 9. We rely on you to achieve this,” Carlos said during his speech.
For Garcia, he said Comelec will do everything to prevent election fraud.
“If the entire election process is orderly, we can assure that everyone has an equal opportunity to win. We commit fairness and equal treatment to all," he added.
Key local government officials present were Samar Governor Michael Tan (candidate for Second District representative), Second District Rep. Sharee Anne Tan (running for governor), 1st District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento (reelectionist), former vice governor Stephen James Tan (candidate for First District representative) and Santa Margarita Mayor Gemma Zosa (running for governor).
A total of 30 candidates signed, with 22 competing for 10 seats on the provincial board, \four bets for two Congressional seats, two aiming for the gubernatorial post, and two running for vice-governor.
The national government initiated the signing of the integrity pledge due to the history of violence every poll season in Samar province.
The province has 597,290 registered voters this year. (PNA)
