LP candidates amazed with Cotabato City voters’ interest on key issues

COTABATO CITY -- Peace and security, livelihood and infrastructure development are the topics voters listen to attentively in campaign dialogues in the barangays, candidates for local elective posts said Thursday.Mohammad Pasigan, candidate of the Liberal Party for Cotabato City vice-mayor, said voters now have high level of interest on learning from candidates how each intend to serve them if elected.Pasigan’s running mate is former Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema. Voters are now conscious of the importance of their electoral rights as guaranteed by the Constitution. They listen to what candidates offer them in terms of governance and public service if elected,” Pasigan said.Three candidates are vying for the vice-mayoral seat in the city, Pasigan, a businessman, lawyer Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and the reelectionist Abdullah Andang, a retired education official.Sema is contesting the reelection bid of Cotabato City’s incumbent mayor Japal Guiani, Jr.Sema and the reelectionist mayor are both highlighting their accomplishments while serving as city chief executives as campaign pitch in their barangay sorties.Mayor Guiani was first elected as Cotabato City chief executive in 2010.Sema said he also found out, in this campaign period, that voters are also interested in discourses about the promotion of peace and unity among Muslims and Christians and about the relevance of the Mindanao peace process.Sema has overtly been supporting the Mindanao peace process owing to his chairmanship of the largest and most politically-active group in the Moro National Liberation Front.Pasigan said voters in the barangays are aware of the importance of co-existence among Muslims, Christians and Lumad folks in sustaining the city’s socio-economic growth. When our team goes around to campaign, many voters ask how we intend to provide them livelihood opportunities, education and more infrastructures if we get elected,” Pasigan said.Pasigan said they are offering voters in Cotabato City participatory governance premised in the context of interfaith and cultural solidarity among local sectors.