The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting ended on May 6 a series of forum for candidates running for key positions in the provincial level and the lone city of Laoag. The PPCRV organized the candidates’ forum to provide a venue for the candidates to articulate on various issues that matter on the electorate. Laoag Bishop Sergio Utleg said the May election is not about choosing between the good or evil but choosing the better one over the good. “Through this forum, we can see right through our candidates who is talking with sincerity and compare them with one who is merely talking,” he said. Three of four candidates for the mayoralty post of Laoag showed up for the forum today (Monday) while majority of the candidates for the city council were also around. Key candidates for the provincial posts were invited to appear at the forum last May 3 but only former Ilocos Norte Governor Rodolfo C. Fariñas for the gubernatorial post and former Pagudpud Mayor Reynolan Sales for the congressional seat showed up. Ilocos Norte Governor Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who is running unopposed for the congressional seat in Ilocos Norte’s second district, and his cousin Michael M. Keon, a provincial board member now running for governor, failed to appear. A panel of interrogators alternately asked the candidates’ position on various issues ranging from jueteng, tourism, solid waste management and program for the poor. Re-electionist Laoag Mayor Michael V. Fariñas said he plans to put up an engineered sanitary landfill with enhanced tools to comply with the government’s solid waste management program. He urged residents to observe waste segregation in their own backyards. Mayoralty candidate and retired General Rowland Albano, Fariñas’ closest rival, said he would ask officials in the villages to impose a no-segregation, no-collection policy to improve waste disposal. Both mayoralty bets agreed that they must capitalize on the booming Ilocos tourism industry to attract more investors. Simon Brillante, another mayoralty candidate, was the first to arrive at the forum venue. With respect to jueteng, vice mayoralty candidate Eddie Domingo said the only way to stop illegal gambling is for the people to stop patronizing it. For his part, vice mayoralty candidate Jay Ramos said residents must be given an alternative livelihood source to sway them away from jueteng. Most candidates said that the funds from the tobacco excise tax must be given directly to the farmers instead of being channeled to the city or provincial government which normally decide on the manner of allocation and on what projects the funds should be utilized. Cristina Arzadon, PIA News Service
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