City official cites importance of Holy Week; calls for honest elections

“Let us put into practice not only in words what we keep on mouthing that we are for a free, clean, fair and honest elections.”

Thus, declared councilor Joel Alangsab during Monday’s flag-raising rites at City Hall, April 11,  before local officials, employees and guests led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Vice-Mayor Faustino Olowan.

“Let us not forget that Baguio voters are unique in the entire country.  They vote silently and independently in accordance with their conscience.  Dirty politics has no place in our city,” the alderman said.

Alangsab pointed out that as public officials, “we should rise above our differences and act in service of our beloved city.”

He also stressed the importance of Holy Week as it reminds Christians of God’s sacrifice of his son and also of God’s love for his people and that the public spend it with reverence and respect toward each other even in the midst of the campaign period for national and local elections.

“Let the Holy Week be a quiet and renewing week for all.  Let it be a time for us to reflect on how we can really be of help to everyone who had been deprived of their dreams during the pandemic. Let it be a time for us to reflect if our actions had been and are in line with God’s teaching.  Let it be a time also for forgiveness and reconciliation as taught by Jesus,” Alangsab said.

He explained that the Lenten Season is an opportunity for people to give genuine forgiveness to those who have hurt them as Jesus himself prayed to the Father to forgive those who have caused him to suffer. – Gaby B. Keith