BY SAMMY MARTIN  Reporter

Stalwarts from contending political parties in Masbate forged on Wednesday an agreement to denounce violence and commit themselves to promote the holding of honest, orderly and peaceful elections in May 2010.

Some 4,000 participants of a multi-sectoral mobilization of civil society organizations in Masbate dubbed “A Walk for MY HOME” (Masbate Yearning for Honest, Orderly and Meaningful Election) converged at the Magallanes Coliseum in Masbate City for the signing of the covenant. They represented sectoral organizations, the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines, government institutions, clergy, youth and nongovernment organizations.

Masbate is perennially considered as one of the country’s election hotspots owing to its long history of politically motivated violence compounded by communist insurgency and partisan armed groups.

The signatories to the Peace Covenant included Rep. Rizalina Lanete of Masbate, candidate for governor; Vice Gov. Vince Revil; Retired General Darius Tuason, Second district representative candidate; Mabel Bartolabac , candidate for mayor of Masbate City, and 18 other political leader vying for various elective positions in the provincial and municipal local government units.

Police Director Andres Caro congratulated the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the Diocese of Masbate Social Action Foundation led by Fr. Leo Casas for organizing the Masbate Walk for MY HOME and the signing of the Peace Covenant to replicate the multi-sectoral “Takbo Para sa Malinis, Maayos at Mapa-yapang Halalan 2010” held in January in Quezon City organized by the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines with the support of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Muslim Imams and other religious leaders.

The PNP has listed Masbate among nine provinces considered as Election Areas of Concern because of the presence threat groups, history of election-related violent incidents in previous elections and activities of partisan armed groups.

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) has established three Guerilla Fronts in Masbate with 93 active members armed with an estimated 113 firearms.

The presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/NPA has added another dimension to the volatile situation in Masbate as some insurgents are reportedly being mobilized as hired goons by local politicians.

A sizable contingent of police commandos from the elite Special Action Force has been deployed in Masbate, together with tactical units from the Regional and Provincial Mobile Groups and Armed Forces Units that compose the Joint Special Task Force Masbate, the lead unit in operations against communist insurgents, criminal elements and partisan armed groups in the province.

Last year, political leaders in Abra, another perennial election hotspot, forged a similar peace covenant that has resulted in a significant decline in incidents of politically motivated violence in the province.