The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Ilocos Region (DILG-R1) announced Friday, April 22, that it has conducted a virtual voters education program which sought to provide the public, especially the youth, with valuable insights that will guide them to choose the most qualified political bets in the May 2022 polls.
The DILG-R1 held the virtual "Information Drive on Responsible Voting of the Youth and the 2022 Elections" last April 18 for members of the Sangguniang Kabataan and other youth organizations in Ilocos Region.
With this program, the DILG Region 1 Office noted the value of the electorate “deciphering which information to consider when selecting the candidates to be elected into public office’’ in the local and national levels.
Likewise, the said drive is seen to empower the youth with knowledge regarding significant factors that may affect their decision and ensure their participation in deciding for the future of the country in the coming election.
The virtual info drive was made possible in partnership with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE Philippines) and National Youth Commission (NYC).
In connection, DILG Sec. Eduardo Año assured the public that the agency is not favoring any candidate or political party, even those candidates supporting the current Duterte administration.
He stressed this to allay fears that the law enforcers, particularly the PNP, will favor the political candidates and parties aligned with the President and his supporters.
“Isa lang palagi sinasabi niya (Duterte) (The President has always mentioned this), I want to have a peaceful, clean, orderly, election, honest election.," Año said.
The DILG chief emphasized that the President has stated that those voted by the people should win in the May 9, 2022 national and local elections.
“My order to the PNP, BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology), Bureau of Fire is the same, we must have a clean, honest, orderly, peaceful election. We will not be partisan, we will ensure that the people are able to cast their vote and we will protect the sanctity of the ballot,’’ he added.
Año also emphasized that the DILG is not providing a security detail for vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio while on the campaign trail.
He clarified this to brush off the misconception that President Duterte has specifically ordered a security unit for his daughter.
“For your alluding that somebody higher up will tell the uniformed troops to give favor to this or to that or provide assistance to this, if you are referring to the President or somebody in Malacañang, I will say to you frankly, there is no such order. The President has said over and over that he is not going to endorse any presidential candidate,” Año said in an earlier briefing.