In a bid to ensure that the general elections in 2010 will be clean, honest and orderly, the Office of the Ombudsman leads government agencies and the private sector in a consultative meeting over the weekend.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said the consultative meeting was aim to unite all sectors to participate in the education, registration and in the enforcement of election laws in an effort to make sure that the presidential election next year will be efficient and credible.

Aside from the Ombudsman, participating agencies in the Multi-Sectoral Initiative on Electoral Reforms were the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, Department of Education, and the Philippine National Police while the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, and the Ombudsman’s Junior Graftwatch Unit represented the non-government organizations.

Lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan, Comelec's law department chief, briefed participants on the measures implemented by the poll body in preparation for the 2010 elections, particularly “ELECTVOICE,” an information-dissemination program that entails the distribution of modules in schools, barangays, and government offices.

Rafanan also discussed election laws as well as ways on how government agencies and various sectors may contribute to the efforts.

For his part, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando C. Casimiro said he was convinced “that this multi-sectoral initiative can do a lot in enjoining each and every Filipino to make the best out of this rare chance of finally redeeming our democracy with truly honest, orderly and peaceful elections.”

He noted that the May 2010 election is crucial for every Filipino, “because with the multi-billion election automation project, we are practically given a chance to reform some aspects of the process of choosing our leaders.”