ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--Over 2,000 political aspirants and supporters joined in a unity walk and the signing of a peace covenant to promote a peaceful barangay and the Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for this month.

The event also witnessed the presence of election candidates, along with officials and employees from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Iligan City Police Office (ICPO), the 2nd Mechanized “Magbalantay” Brigade of the Philippine Army, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Department of Education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and the Philippine Information Agency.

In a show of unity, the candidates also joined in an interfaith prayer led by various religious groups.

Iligan City Police Office City Director of Police Colonel Reinante Delos Santos assured the public that they are fully committed to ensuring a peaceful election.

“Sa Iligan, ang atong total number of personnel nga ideploy sa precinct naa sa 480. Sakto ra jud ang security forces nga i-deploy sa election plus naa pay force multiplier nga very willing muserve. Wala tay problema pag abot sa security contingent nato [In Iligan, we will deploy a total of 480 personnel to the precinct centers. The security forces to be deployed for the election are adequate, and we also have a force multiplier who is very willing to serve. There will be no issues with our security contingent],” he said.

Meanwhile, Comelec Iligan City Election Officer Lawyer Anna Liza Barredo advised the voters to know their precinct details to easily find their polling place on election day.

“As of now, medyo linaw-linaw pa kay layo pa ang election, isecure na nila ang precinct number, sequence number, and clustered precinct kung aha sila nabelong so that pag-abot sa time sa election, dili na sila mangawala, straight na sila maudto sa polling place [As of now, the election is still a bit far off. Voters should ensure they know their precinct number, sequence number, and the clustered precinct to which they belong. This way, when election day arrives, they can proceed directly to their designated polling place],” she said.

On the other hand, Magbalantay Brigade Commander Colonel Anthon Abrina stressed the importance of unity in organizing the unity walk, expressing the goal of an orderly, honest, and peaceful election. He encouraged making the election peaceful, with no disruptions, and ensuring that the community's preferred leaders are elected.

Moreover, the Comelec will conduct training for the electoral boards responsible for clustered precincts at the polling centers. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)