CEBU CITY — With the May 10 elections fast approaching, the Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-CIMPEL), a church-based organization is also strengthening its preparations for the crucial event that will replace the Chief Executive and other top officials of the land.

C-CIMPEL is the political education arm of the Commission on Service of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

The organization is part of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)’s National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), and was accredited by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to conduct both poll watching and quick count operations.

The same group has also been noted as a model for effective poll watchers helping government in ensure that the elections on May 10 will be fair, honest and clean.

C-CIMPEL has been held up by top officials who have also encouraged other volunteer groups in replicating what it has done in watching people’s votes.

The Church-based group is slated to convene this April 24 at this city’s Sacred Heart School for Boys-Jesuits in Gorordo Avenue for a general assembly and final briefing in connection with the May 10 polls.

The event will be attended by all C-CIMPEL members, including lay coordinator and chairpersons of the Accountable Materials Verifiable Audit Trail Team (AMVATT).

Earlier, Judge Gabriel Ingles, one of the core group members of C-CIMPEL said that 9,000 volunteers have been gathered so far, and that the organization is hoping to gather still as much as 20,000 more volunteers as it did in previous electoral exercises.

Ingles added that the organization remains optimistic in having more volunteers because many more people are reportedly gaining interest in taking in the May elections not only as voters, but also as watchdogs.

Ingles disclosed that most of their volunteers are active church-goers, while the number of volunteers from the youth sector is reportedly growing as the group widens its information advocacy.