DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – The Diocesan Electoral Board of the Diocese of Dumaguete, whose membership included government, non-government and church-based groups, held its first consultation meeting as it reconvened yesterday afternoon in preparation for the 2016 elections.
Monsignor Julius Perpetuo Heruela, convenor of the DEB, has repeatedly stressed the need for an early start in convening the body to give enough time to prepare its members individually and collectively for next year’s polls to achieve clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful (CHAMP) elections.
Also, the meeting was timely as political candidates are now gearing up for the filing of their certificates of candidacies from October 12 to 16, as mandated by the Comelec, said Heruela.
Heruela said the DEB acts as a non-partisan and citizens’ arm to assist in promoting the conduct of clean, honest, orderly and peaceful polls, as well as educate the voters while encouraging them to participate for a successful electoral exercise.
Highlighting the DEB’s advocacy for the 2016 polls was the nationwide One Good Vote campaign of one of its members, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting to discourage the voters from selling their votes in exchange for cash.
Included in the DEB’s agenda is the Dilaab Foundation, Inc.’s LASER five-point test that would guide and aid voters in choosing their candidates well by looking at certain criteria that would pass the set standards.
LASER is an acronym for guide questions on the Lifestyle, Accomplishments, Supporters, Election Conduct and Reputation of a political candidate that a voter must thoroughly consider prior to voting.
Those who attended the DEB’s first meeting for the 2016 polls were leaders and representatives from the Comelec in Negros Oriental, Dumaguete City and Siquijor province (part of the Diocese of Dumaguete), the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the business sector, the Department of Education, the two electric companies in the province, the local media, the Commission on Youth and the Social Action Center of the diocese, and non-government groups, among others.
Concerns such as the Comelec’s campaign on the “No Bio, No Boto” (no biometrics, no voting), security matters such as potential watchlist areas and threat groups, voters’ education campaigns at the different levels to include schools, parishes and/or barangays, training on the Automated Election System and the use of the electronic voting machines, were among those discussed in the meeting.
The DEB will continue with its advocacy in the coming weeks and months ahead of the May 2016 polls, Heruela added.