Mayor John Dalipe reminded aspiring local officials to respect and uphold the integrity of the electoral process as he called on all stakeholders to work together for a transparent and fair elections during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) Forum Wednesday, August 9, at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum.
“I encourage each one of you to approach this forum with an open mind and a willingness to learn. The journey towards responsible leadership begins with understanding the rules, regulations, and responsibilities that come with holding public office,” Mayor John Dalipe stressed.
Some 300 aspirants participated in the 2023 BSKE Forum which was spearheaded by the Commission on Election (COMELEC) to brief and orient those seeking to run for office this October on pertinent election rules, regulations, and protocols.
Mayor Dalipe was all praises for the COMELEC-led initiative, which he recognized as an invaluable resource to raise public awareness on the do’s and dont’s during election period and to encourage public participation in the electoral process.
“Antes, cuando ya corre yo SK, kagawad, y capitan, no hay kita ancina. With this, alegre yo cay before man file ta man educate ya con ustedes, tan guide ya si cosa debe hace, ta habla ya cosa el maga rules and regulations,” Mayor Dalipe said, urging aspirants to heed the rules as a manifestation of their respect to the election process and their commitment to become responsible public servants.
The forum was comprised of lectures and discussions led by COMELEC officials and a mini photo exhibit chronicling highlights of different elections in the country.
An open forum followed the lecture discussions where participants expressed their questions and concerns to be answered and clarified by COMELEC.
Present during the forum were Vice Mayor Josephine Pareja, Councilor John Cary Pioc who is the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president, COMELEC IX Regional Director Atty. Wilfred Jay Balisado COMELEC Information Officer IV Emma Lyn Masongsong, City Election Officers Atty. Stephen Roy Canete of District I and Atty. Christian Jian Babiera of District II, Provincial Election Supervisors Atty. Ellis Miguel of Zamboanga del Sur, Atty. Jossil Macuete of Zamboanga del Norte and Atty. John Paul Cubero of Zamboanga Sibugay.
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia and Commissioner Rey Bulay sent in video messages of support which were played during the forum.
The BSK election period is from August 28 to October 29, with the Election Day proper set on October 30.
Filing of the certificates of candidacy (COC) will be from August 28 to September 2 at KCC Mall – East Wing for both District 1 and 2.
Candidates are prohibited from any and all campaign activities immediately after filing their COCs and should only do so during the 10-day campaign period set by the COMELEC from October 19 to 28.
Zamboanga City’s 98 barangays have a total of 466,984 registered voters, of which 223,072 are in District 1 and 243,912 in District 2.
For the SK elections (15 to 30 years old), the city has 146,535 registered voters—69,380 in District 1 and 77,165 in District 2. (Jasmine Mohammadsali)