TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Six members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were designated as Special Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) on election day in a far-flung barangay in Lubuagan town, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) officer said Monday.
Lawyer Dexter Cawis, Comelec-Kalinga election officer said instead of teachers from the Department of Education (DepEd), six policemen were given special orders through a Memorandum of Agreement with the Comelec and the PNP to serve as BEIs in two precincts at Barangay Mabungtot, which has about 1,000 voters.
Cawis said “there are no teachers who want to serve as members of the board of election inspectors in the area, raising security reasons,” he said.
Mabungtot is located about three hours walk from Lubuagan town proper, which is a two-hour drive from this capital town.
The same scenario was done during the 2013 and 2016 elections when no teachers agreed to serve in the two precincts due to peace and order issues that escalated into a tribal war.
Due to the problem, some voters have even opted to transfer their residence in nearby Barangay Taloctoc in Tanudan town while others moved to the capital Tabuk City.
“They fear for their lives and their security that is why there have never been takers of the BEI function in the said area,” Cawis said.
Kalinga is among the areas identified by the joint security council where seven barangays were identified as an election hotspot.
The joint security council also reported last week that out of the 152 barangays, there were 20 monitored to have the presence of New People’s Army terrorists. There a are also 44 barangays without telecommunications signal and there are 48 barangays which can only be reached by foot.
The whole province has 433 precincts with 196 clustered polling precincts. (Jesse Maguiya/PNA)
