Regionwide pilgrimage for peaceful election held
Their numbers may have been small but they hoped their message would be loud enough to be heard amid the bloodshed and violence.
Pastors, students, social workers and development advocates on Sunday ended their "Pilgrimage for Peace" to call and pray for an end to violence and for peaceful elections.
Initiated by the Central Philippine University (CPU), Convention Baptist Ministers Association (CBMA) and Iloilo Coalition of Non-Government Organizations and People's Organizations (ICON), the pilgrimage is the second to be held after the groups initiated it first in 2004 to dramatize their call for clean, honest and peaceful elections.
The pilgrimage which started on April 23 and ended on May 2 covered the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros. It made short stopovers in every town to distribute voter's education materials and prayed for peace.
Major stopovers were conducted at the Capiz Evangelical Church in Roxas City and Lifeline Center in the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan. Prayer rallies and voters education were also held in Canlaon Evangelical Church, Canlaon City and Fortress College in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental.
"We would like to tell and remind the people especially the youth that we should not be resigned to how elections in our country are," said Rev. Edwin Lariza, pilgrimage chair.
Lariza raised concern with the rising number of fatalities and violent election-related incidents more than a week before the elections. "This (election) may turn out to be worse than in 2004."
Around 30 participants in 10 vehicles comprised the mainstay group but other participants joined in the stopovers, said Lariza.
In their statement read during stopovers and in the culmination program at the grounds of the Iloilo provincial capitol, the participants declared their commitment to pursue peace.
"The spate of killings and the seemingly endless political and ideological squabbling in the country has been alarming. It does not only affect individuals or families but the whole nation because, when perpetuated, this will develop into a culture of war or violence," they said in their statement.
"We call on every voter to value their right of suffrage and exercise it wisely by voting candidates, as well as party-list group, that do not only promote peace but are truly men and women who exemplify peace."
Rinand Escuban, director of the CPU external affairs office, said they hope that the pilgrimage has brought its message to the people that it has reached. "As Christians, we abhor all forms of violence not only during elections."
Escuban said in a speech that they are saddened with the abduction of activist Ma. Luisa Posa-Dominado, who graduated cum laude in Elementary Education in 1994 in CPU.
Dominado, one of the prominent political detainees during the Martial Law period, was one of two activists who were abducted by unidentified armed men on April 12 in Oton town. They remain missing until now.
"We continue to pray for her safe return to her family," said Escuban.
He said they also hope that the pilgrimage will find its impact not only during elections but beyond.
"Peace has no boundaries," said Escuban.