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[av_heading heading=’TEACHERS WILL SERVE IN BRGY, SK POLLS IF…’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY RANIE AZUE
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February 12, 2018
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BACOLOD City – Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)-Negros said they will serve in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections only if their demands will be met.
ACT-Negros is a militant group composed of elementary and secondary public school teachers.
Gualberto Dajao, ACT-Negros chairman, said they previously agreed via consensus not to serve during the elections this May.
This can still change, though, he added.
Dajao stressed that public school teachers carry a “huge responsibility” in making sure that every election is “clean, honest and credible.”
Despite this, they are only given a “small token of honoraria,” which they cannot immediately get, he added.
They still have to wait for weeks or months after the elections before receiving their honoraria, Dajao lamented.
Dajao also said some teachers are facing election-related charges but the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not helped them.
Dajao, a principal of an elementary school in the city, said they want all the election-related charges against teachers to be dismissed.
They also want the advance payment of the half of their elections service honoraria. The remaining half must be given days after the conduct of the elections, Dajao said.
He added that the Comelec must also promise to provide free legal assistance to teachers who may be sued in relation to his/her service in the upcoming May elections.
Unlike before, public school teachers are no longer obliged to render election service under the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act (RA) 10756, or the Election Service Reform Act.
RA 10756 states that only public school teachers who are “willing and available” can serve during the election.
If there is lack of public school teachers who are “willing, available or qualified to serve” during the polls, RA 10756 allows Comelec to tap private school teachers, national government employees and Department of Education nonteaching personnel.
Comelec can also tap other national government officials and employees holding regular or permanent positions, excluding uniformed personnel of the Department of National Defense and all its attached agencies, members of the Comelec-accredited citizen arms or other civil society organizations, Comelec-accredited nongovernmental organizations, and any registered voter of the city or municipality of known integrity and competence who is not connected with any candidate or political party.
Earlier Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor Jessie Suarezcalled for volunteers to render poll duties for the barangay and SK elections.
Suarez did this after he noticed the noncommittal of a good number of public school teachers in the province.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government announced that the barangay and SK elections will finally push through this May after it was delayed three times.
“Tuloy na tuloy na ang barangay and SK elections sa May,” Interior undersecretary Martin Diño said. “Inaanyayahan rin natin ang publiko na kilatising mabuti ang mga kandidatong iboboto nila.”
The filing of the certificates of candidacy will be from April 14 to 20 while the campaign period is from May 4 to 12./PN
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