In an effort to ensure a peaceful and fair 2025 midterm election, the municipality of Tobias Fornier in Antique is set to host a peace covenant signing. This initiative comes as Tobias Fornier is the only area in the province flagged as a concern due to intense political rivalry. The event, scheduled for February 27, was a key topic at the Provincial Joint Security Control Center meeting, according to Wil Arceño, the Acting Assistant Regional Director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Antique’s Provincial Election Supervisor.
Arceño expressed optimism about the upcoming elections in Tobias Fornier, emphasizing the importance of the peace covenant in fostering a safe and fair electoral environment. Currently, no other towns in Antique have been recommended for inclusion as areas of concern by Municipal Election Officers and the Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO).
Lt. Col. Willy Diel, the APPO Information Officer, highlighted the significance of the peace covenant, noting that it represents a commitment from political candidates to ensure a secure election. Candidates are expected to set aside personal disputes during the event, which typically takes place in churches or neutral locations.
Diel also encouraged candidates to surrender any expired firearms to their local police stations. Since the start of the election period and the implementation of the gun ban on January 12, no violations have been reported at checkpoints. Comelec and the local police will continue to conduct random and scheduled checkpoints across Antique until the election period concludes on June 11.
No private armed groups have been detected in the province that could potentially disrupt the elections scheduled for May 12.