MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday briefed and trained public school teachers in Quezon City (QC) in preparation for the May 14 Barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections.
Election officer lawyer Ma. Anne D.V. Gonzales of Comelec’s 4th District in Quezon City, said the training is for teachers who will be serving as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) and Board of Election Tellers (BETs) in the city’s precincts.
During the training, Gonzales discussed the qualifications and disqualifications, powers and functions and benefits of the BEIs and BETs. She also discussed the correct steps in ballot appreciation and counting.
Gonzales gave instances which teachers must avoid to avoid arrest and have their credibility be questioned.
“You may already know about this, you teachers as members of the electoral board must not engage in partisan political activity or take part in the election except to discharge your duties or to vote,” Gonzales said.
She said any teacher who is a member of the electoral board “may be arrested if he or she absented himself or herself with the attention of obstructing the performance of his or her electoral duties.”
She said there will be three types of voters this election — Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) voters who are 15 to 17 years old; Barangay voters are 30 years old and above, and SK-Barangay voters who are 18 to 30 years old.
“Voters who are 18 to 30 years old will receive two ballots if they don’t want to receive two ballots because they don’t like to vote for SK or for Barangay, we have the duty to inform them to receive the ballot, if they still refuse to accept, announce the refusal and in the presence of the voters mark the ballot abstain because if they have the right to vote they also have the right not to vote,” she said.
Gonzales explained the ballots that will be used during the elections have the 23rd of October 2017 date.
“Don’t be confused with the ballots with this date are the correct ballots. Comelec already spent millions for printing of these knowing that there will be an election last year which did not happen due to postponement,” she said. (Ma. Teresa Montemayor with reports from Jomari Castigador, OJT/PNA)
