DIALOGUE. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson (2nd from right) and Silay City Mayor Mark Golez (left), with Department of the Interior and Local Government-Western Visayas Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero (right) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency-Western Visayas Regional Director Ana Liza Umpar, during the dialogue on national anti-money laundering/combatting financing terrorism organized by the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City on Monday (March 7, 2022). Lacson and Golez also signed a covenant for safe and peaceful elections.(Photo courtesy of PIO Negros Occidental) BACOLOD CITY - Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led local officials running for various elective positions in the province in advocating safe and peaceful elections on May 9. Lacson manifested his stance during the signing of the covenant on Monday afternoon in rites at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall here. "Today's covenant signing is fitting. As a nation, we need to be reminded as often as possible that an election is the ultimate exercise of democracy, that the will of the people is best expressed in a clean, orderly and honest elections," Lacson said in his message before the participants, who attended the event either in-person or virtually. The activity was conducted alongside the dialogue on national anti-money laundering/combatting financing terrorism organized by the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Western Visayas. Aside from the governor, among the other signatories were Silay City Mayor Mark Golez; Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales; Col. Leo Pamittan, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office; and Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the Philippine Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade. Others who signed were Department of the Interior and Local Government-Western Visayas Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency-Western Visayas Regional Director Ana Liza Umpar. Lacson called on the candidates and voters alike to conduct themselves in a manner fitting to such an ultimate expression of democracy and to maintain the integrity of the process. In the covenant, those vying for local executive and legislative positions committed to respect all fellow candidates and avoid all forms of electoral fraud and election-related violence. They also vowed to denounce the communist terrorist group (CTG) and all its front organizations that take advantage of the national and local elections; resist any attempt of the CTG to establish political alliances with them; refuse the permit-to-campaign and permit-to-win fees; and deny any financial, material and/ or logistical or any form of assistance to the CTG. The CTG refers to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army. During the dialogue, participants were given an orientation on Republic Act (RA) 11479 or the "Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020" and RA 10168 or "The Terrorism Financing, Prevention and Suppression Act of 2021". (PNA) }