Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra is calling for volunteers to help the Church effort to ensure clean and honest elections by joining the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.

Fr. Aniceto Buenafe, Diocese of Bacolod Social Action Director, yesterday said the bishop is especially calling on young people to help the church ensure that the May 14 elections are credible.

The bishop will hold a consultation with the priests of the Diocese of Bacolod today and a diocese-wide meeting with Parish Pastoral Councils on Feb. 24 on the Church effort to ensure clean polls.

Buenafe said the church will get involved in three phases -- through voters education wherein guidelines will be given on how to choose candidates, poll watching, and through a quick count.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in a letter to the dioceses and parishes last month called on the faithful to "choose wise, discerning and experienced people" in the May polls.

"The Church values the democratic system," the CBCP said, adding that the bishops "seek only one thing: to apply the values of the Gospel to our electoral process".

"These coming elections in May 2007 are especially important. Many of our current political problems, which have hindered fuller economic development and social justice, especially for the poor, can be traced to unresolved questions concerning the conduct of past elections," the CPB had said.

"As a nation, we cannot afford yet another controversial electoral exercise that further aggravates social distrust and hopelessness," it added.

"It is time we are determined that we come together once more and organize ourselves more effectively than we have done in the past to make this year's elections credible---and as free of violence as possible," it said.*CPG

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