The Commission on Elections (Comelec) listened intently Wednesday to the impassioned plea of the National Citizens Movement for Free Election (Namfrel) and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to be accredited as the Citizens’ Arms in the May 10, 2010 fully automated polls.

Namfrel, now headed by former Central Bank Governor Jose L. Cuisia, told the Comelec through its legal counsel, that it is once again applying for accreditation as a citizen’s arm to help, make the coming elections peaceful, orderly, honest and credible.

It added that it will again mobilized its thousands of volunteers across the country to prevent cheating and other forms of electoral frauds and help in educating the people to vote intelligently and exercise their rights of suffrage freely.

Namfrel told the Comelec en banc, composed of most senior Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento and Commissioners Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Lucenito N. Tagle, Armando C. Velasco, Elias R. Yusoph, and Gegorio Larrazabal that since the time of the late President Magsaysay, it always acted as a citizen’s arm.

“Namfrel’s records of public service during election is an open book,” Cuisian said.

The CBCP with Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar of the Diocese of Tandag as president, also told the Comelec through its legal counsel, that “election is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.”

CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace, said it will harness its thousands of volunteers throughout the land to make the results of the elections truly reflective of the popular will.

“We need an informed electorate enlightened through voters’ education, a vigilant citizenry who will guard against the attempts of some to frustrate the genuine will of the people, and steadfast persons who stay undaunted by intimidation of ruthless politicians, in order to put into office reliable leaders who would guide our nation in the coming years,” Bishop Odchimar said.

The Bishop said the poor constitute the greater part of the population.

They are remembered and courted by politicians during the campaign period, he added.

“If only there is political will, the economic situation of our people would be far better than it was generations back,” he pointed out.