advocacy group bats for clean elections

San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija - An advocacy group on Wednesday called on candidates for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to adhere to the principle of good governance even as the campaign reaches its peak.

Virginia Orogo, executive director of the Movement Yearning for Valor and Oneness through Intellectual, Cultural and Economic Development or MyVoice said that the practice of good governance should start from the barangay, being the basic unit of our political system.

"If only the barangay officials will initiate such practice, it will surely have a ripple effect on the rest of the local and national officials,” Orogo said.
She stressed that barangay officials should initiate the reform in our rotting electoral process.

They should observe election laws and let the conscience of the voters prevail in choosing their barangay leaders by not bribing them with gifts or cash.

The movement made the call even as the family of slain candidate for barangay councilor,

Numeriano Sapiandante, appealed to law enforcers for a speedy resolution of the killing.
Sapiandante was gunned down on the first day of the campaign. A former village chief of Tagumpay, he was running for a council seat in the barangay.

Police are reportedly looking into different angles, one of which would be the problem the victim had with a local politician, but they have yet to come up with concrete evidence.

MyVoice pleaded for the candidates not to practice vote buying in whatever form. (Armand M. Galang, The Manila Times)