Some 4,000 people on Sunday joined a unity walk and prayer rally to call for safe and peaceful elections this year as the election period officially opened.
Government workers, the religious, teachers and students, members of non-government organizations, soldiers and candidates joined the Inter-Faith Prayer Rally and Peace Covenant Signing for the 2019 Midterm Elections at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
At 4 a.m. the attendees, together with electoral candidates, walked from the Quezon City Hall to the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
After the walk, the people gathered in front of the grandstand where different religious leaders interceded for unity and peace during the mid-term polls in May.
In his speech, National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar said the activity emphasizes the importance of teamwork of different commissions, groups, organizations and candidates nationwide to achieve fair and peaceful elections.
“Let us offer the peaceful signing of covenant to our God who is with us in our vision as we allow him to intervene in this quest,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“The upcoming elections symbolizes the right of very Filipino to choose leaders and our united prayer is a way to inform our fellowmen that we are one in the aim to guard against who plan to stain and defraud the elections”, he added.
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Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. said the participation of their personnel shows the military’s “unwavering commitment in keeping the integrity, sanctity and security of a fair and honest elections.”
“At this moment, AFP is affirming its commitment in assuring that our fellowmen are able to exercise their right to vote. AFP is the protector of the Filipino people and the state, intensifying our efforts to keep all electoral threats at bay, coordinating with everyone who attended here to uphold successful elections and the AFP shall remain apolitical and non-partisan as the President continues to remind us to be neutral,” he added.
Among the candidates who attended the event were reelectionist Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Chel Diokno and Rafael Alunan III.
Also on Sunday. Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos called for the creation and accreditation of a new independent poll watchdog to ensure clean and honest elections in May.
Marcos said the presence of technical experts in every polling precinct would help guarantee the integrity of the election and avoid a repeat of vote rigging and fraud that marred the 2016 automated polls.
“The new election watchdog should not only be keen on guarding forms of electoral fraud that we are all aware of even before we shifted to automated elections, but it must also have the technical expertise so we can be assured that the upcoming elections are free and fair,” said Marcos, who is running for senator under the Nacionalista Party.
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