Religious group told: Scrap candidates' fora to avert poll-violence

BONGABON, Nueva Ecija– Re-electionist Amelia Gamilla has urged the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and other organizers of candidates’ fora to scrap “face-offs” among candidates to prevent election-related violence in the run-up to the May elections.

Gamilla told newsmen various fora organized by the PPCRV and other organizations maybe well-meaning because these are intended to institutionalize the holding of clean, honest and orderly elections and to inform the candidates of their platforms of government but these could also prove divisive and may even spark violence among the candidates and their supporters.

“If you ask me, maybe we should do away with these candidates’ forum because we might be provoking their supporters into heated exchanges which could go out-of-hand,” she said.

Gamilla, who is running for re-election under the Team Asenso of the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija against retired police general Ricardo Padilla, of Team Pagbabago said oftentimes, supporters of contending candidates are caught up in the highly charged political atmosphere during the candidates’ fora, resulting to senseless provocation and debates.

“If our objective in holding candidates’ fora is to keep the electorate informed on issues as well as on the platform of government, these, oftentimes are never achieved. It only further heightens tensions between opposing camps,” she said.

She said the candidates and their supporters are better off holding respective caucuses and gatherings in the barangays to better explain their programs. “Anyway, the campaign period for local candidates is set to start next week and it is there where their programs can better be explained to constituents,” she said.

Gamilla issued the call even as Nueva Ecija is considered one of the so-called election watch list areas due to intense political rivalries, history of past election violence and others. Bongabon is also one of the areas being closely monitored by police due to recent bombing incidents. -- MG