ILOILO CITY (PNA) – After exchanging verbal tussles over the airwaves, two prominent political figures here signed a covenant for honest, orderly and peaceful elections this coming May.

Incumbent Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, who is running for the House of Representatives and former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez Sr., who is running for mayor, led the signing of the covenant last Saturday evening.

The covenant signing was facilitated by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the Philippine National Police (PNP) through the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

Both signed the document entitled “Covenant for an Honest, Orderly, and Peaceful Elections for the May 2010 National and Local Automated Elections.”

Treñas is running against incumbent Gonzalez’s son, Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. while the Gonzalez Sr. will run against current Vice-mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

Gonzalez Jr., who was not able to attend the signing because he had to leave for Manila to visit his brother in a hospital, was represented by his father.

Though not running against each other for the same position, Treñas and Gonzalez Sr. are the ones having heated arguments over live radio programs here.

Also signing the covenant were Councilors Antonio Pesina and Joe III Espinosa who are running for vice-mayor and eight others running for councillor.

The candidates, in reciting their oath officiated by City Elections Officer G’Bert Arbis, vowed to conduct in gentlemanly manner all their dealings and “will discuss legitimate political issues and lay down their platform of government through a free and friendly manner.”

They committed to “renounce the use of threats, violence force, intimidation, partisan/private armed groups and such other illegal means in furtherance of our political interest.”

PPCRV Co-coordinator Rev. Fr Mark Lester Senina told those who put their signature on the document that “signing of the covenant may be doubted, whether those who signed are indeed sincere or not; this is just a piece of paper but it means a lot to all of us Ilonggos, your signing of the document is something important.”

Fr. Senina added, “We trust and we know that you will uphold whatever is written in the document. We trust your sincerity, we ask you to make this covenant not only in a piece of paper but I ask you to sign the covenant in your heart.”