To make teachers’ duties voluntary, not mandatory:

Solon seeks automation of polls

By Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE)
October 27, 2006

QUEZON CITY, Philippines   –  A party-list solon is supporting the full automation of election process to free fellow teachers from election duties.

Rep. Eulogio “Amang” R. Magsaysay of the Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE) Party-list in a recent statement said that using an automated system in the election process will allow teachers to render instead, voluntary, and not mandatory service during elections.

“I believe that once we adopt an automated system in the conduct of the next elections, it will not be hard for us to take our teachers out of their election duties in the future,” he said following the passage of Senate Bill 2231 or the Automated Election System Act of 2006. According to him, with the use of automated machines, “we will need fewer teachers to man the polls and therefore, we can make it voluntary and no longer mandatory.”

The lawmaker expressed his concern on how teachers will still play major roles to safeguard the entire election process. Unlike the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that has recently been given limited participation during elections to prevent them from being used in election irregularities, teachers are yet to be freed from their full involvement in the said activity.

“Since time immemorial, we have been lobbying against the exploitation of teachers during elections,” the lawmaker said. Proof of this is his co-authorship bills on making teachers render voluntary and not mandatory duties during elections such as House Bill 2864, “An Act to Help Improve the Quality of Education in the Country by Allowing Public School Teachers to concentrate on their Teaching Duties, Amending for the Purpose Section 13 of Republic Act No. 6646, Otherwise Known As 'The Election Reform Act of 1987' and House Bill 2898, An Act Disengaging Public School Teachers from Compulsory Election Duties Amending for the Purpose Section 13 of Republic Act No. 6646.”

Under HB 2864, instead of giving the membership of the Board of Election Inspectors solely to public teachers, citizens from civic, youth, professional, educational, business, labor, etc. shall be designated by COMELEC. This way, citizens, regardless of their professions, share equal burden of ensuring free, orderly elections, therefore, reducing the election duties of teachers.

“As molders of the young inquisitive mind, teachers are considered non-partisan and more than competent to render election duties,” Magsaysay said. “At the same time, youth and other civic oriented groups can do the job as well without imposing on anyone or dictating upon any group or sector something against its will.”

HB 2898, on the other hand, is an act disengaging public school teachers from compulsory election duties by amending sec. 13 of R.A. 6646, making it read as " public school teachers who are willing to perform election duties shall be given preference in the appointment of members of the board," meaning teachers have the option to render service.

The education sector representative cited many instances where the lives of teachers have been put in danger in doing their poll duties.

“Aside from the physical and mental fatigue our teachers have to endure during elections, they become subject of various forms of harassments from politicians and their supporters,” he said, adding that, “unlike the military who have their guns and bullets to protect them against the perils of looking after the ballots, educators, teachers, in particular, only have chalk and blackboards since their main purpose is to teach. How do you expect them to defend themselves from such threats?”

Magsaysay, however, admitted that under the Omnibus Election Code, it is still the legal mandate of public school teachers to render service during elections. That is why according to him the government should study the possibility of making this service voluntary and not mandatory.

With this, Magsaysay is further pushing for the immediate release of their allowance citing that “as teachers, their salaries are not enough to support their daily living, that is why most of them have no choice but to really serve during elections.” He further pointed out that with the eminent danger confronting our teachers, government should give them additional insurance coverage aside from the security personnel provided to them every time they serve in election.”

During previous elections it was reported that 18 teachers from Diosdado P. Macapagal Elementary School (then Tatalon Elementary School) were caught in the crossfire between political factions the elections of neighborhood district council. At the same time, Filomena Tatlonghari, a public school teacher in Mabini, Batangas died while using her body in protecting the ballot box that heavily armed men were trying to snatch from her during the 1995 elections.