Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo and all the candidates under the dominant, ruling party Asenso Manileño participated in the unity walk and peace covenant signing sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and deputized agencies to promote orderly elections, while none of their rivals showed up.
“Dumalo po tayo rito para ipakita ang ating suporta sa isang maayos, patas, at payapang halalan sa Maynila.Naniniwala po tayo na mas mainam kung mas marami pang lumalahok sa ganitong inisyatibo, lalo na’t isa itong pagkakataon para ipakita natin, bilang mga lingkod-bayan, ang ating paninindigan para sa kapakanan ng mga Manileño,” Lacuna said.
Tha lady mayor added: “Sana, sa mga susunod na ganitong pagsasama-sama, may iba pa pong dumalo bukod sa Asenso Manileño.”
The event which was held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan was created to draw commitment from candidates for a peaceful, free, orderly and fair election in May but notably, only the team of the Asenso Manileño, the ruling dominant party in the city which runs under the “Tapat at Totoo” brand of governance, showed up to pledge commitment.
The event was concluded by Lacuna and Servo leading their ticketmates in releasing white doves to signify their commitment for a peaceful, fair, free and orderly elections.
With them were their candidates for the six districts of Manila, of which five are incumbent Congressmen namely, Congressman Rolan Valeriano (2nd district), Congressman Joel Chua (3rd district), Congressman Edward Maceda (4th district), Congressman Irwin Tieng (5th district) and Congressman Benny Abante, Jr. (6th district). Comebacking first district Congressman Manny Lopez, son of former Mayor Mel Lopez, Jr. completes the Congressional slate of the said party, where Dr. Giselle Maceda is taking over the post of Rep. Edward who has reached his third term.
A good majority of the Manila City Council were also present as candidates in the Lacuna-Servo slate and also joined in the activities.
Aside from representatives from the Comelec, also in attendance were personnel from the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), among others.
