La Union Towns Host Masses for peace for 2019 elections

February 10, 2019 Headlines

NAGUILIAN, LA UNION – The local government, private organizations, and the Philippine National Police have been leading the call for peaceful 2019 elections.
The provincial government of La Union and the La Union Vibrant Women Incorporated (LUVWI) have been leading series of Eucharistic masses and prayers for peace in the different parishes in La Union since January 28.
Hundreds of parishioners and members of LUVWI along with provincial and local government officials are attending the masses.
“Prayer is very powerful, this is what I believe we can do to help make our province peaceful again,” Geraldine Ortega, La Union provincial board member and LUVWI chair, said. She added, “We renounce all forms of violence and senseless killings that happened for the past months and we pray that La Union will be peaceful again.” To date, 11 towns including San Fernando City already hosted the masses. “I hope more people in the remaining towns will join us,” Ortega said.
Upcoming schedule of the masses is as follows: Feb. 12 in San Juan, Feb. 13 in Bacnotan, Feb. 14 in San Gabriel, Feb. 15 in Luna, Feb. 18 in Balaoan, Feb. 19 in Santol, Feb. 20 in Bangar, and Feb. 21 in Sudipen.
The series of weekday masses will commence on Feb. 22 in Tubao town. Meanwhile, at least 2,000 policemen in Region 1 on February 7 joined the nationwide simultaneous prayer for peace for the conduct of secure, accurate, and fair 2019 midterm elections.
At exactly 12 noon, a total of 520 policemen from the headquarters of the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO 1) and La Union Police
Provincial Office (LUPPO) uttered a one-minute prayer led by Rev.
Father Alexander V. Pardo, chaplain of the regional police office.
Shortly afterwards, the lawmen raised an enormous flag made of colored cartons displayed at the parade ground of Camp Brigadier General Oscar M. Florendo in this city to express patriotism
and love of country.
The same total number of policemen from the provincial police offices of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Pangasinan also conducted similar activity. Supt. Mary Crystal B. Peralta, spokesperson of the Region 1 police office, said the event was an initiative of the PasaLord Movement which was launched on July 7, 2017 to call for unity and peace.
The prayer rally was first convened by Lourdes “Bing” Pimentel, founder and lead convenor of PasaLord Prayer Movement, at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City wherein it was attended mostly by women. They wore the colors of the Philippine flag: red, white, blue, and yellow, as a symbol of their love for the country.
“Not only the Philippine National Police is involved, all government agencies and all private individuals are. You just give one minute of your time for this prayer. It is for the unity of the country, especially for this upcoming 2019 elections,” Peralta said.
 
Joanna P. Diaz-Sabado, Dhierna Barbin/PIA-La Union/ABN