Election summit
LIKE other “democracy lovers,” we doff our hat to election stakeholders who are meeting for three days (March 8 to 10) for the country’s first-ever “National Election Summit.”
Led by the Commission on Elections, the summit will be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, with President Marcos and Vice President Sara Z. Duterte gracing the event.
Also attending the three-day gathering are Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Speaker Martin G. Romualdez of the House of Representatives.
The participants, numbering 400, are among the advocates of free, orderly, honest and credible election in the country, where ballotings are held every three years.
They are meeting to address the many problems encountered by poll authorities, other concerned government officials, the electorate and the candidates themselves.
They will discuss various key issues related to electoral processes, including voter registration, voting, counting, canvassing, campaign finance and fair election.
The other topics include the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC), party-list accreditation, adjudication of cases, and integration of voter education in the K-12 curriculum.
After the three-day summit, the participants will come out with a report to be submitted to the Comelec en banc.
Doubtless, the three-day national poll summit will go a long way in ensuring the holding of credible elections in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
But we must rid the country of election law violators, including candidates, political party leadercs and registered voters themselves, if we are to move forward.
