Comelec-trained teachers replaced with untrained staff to handle the vote-counting
by The News Team
Commission on Elections (Comelec)-trained teachers protested on Thursday, May 5, in front of Comelec-Cotabato City for having been reportedly replaced with new and untrained teaching staff to handle the vote-counting machines for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
According to Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi during a radio interview with Radyo Pilipinas, she has already filed appropriate election offense complaints before the Comelec against the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education of BARMM.
“I hope the Comelec will settle this issue kundi magkakagulo dito. Kahit mga ministro sila dyan kahit mga MILF sila, ang karapatan ng bawat Cotabateno sagrado so poprotektahan din namin ‘yon,” Guiani-Sayadi stated.
In a press briefing on the same day, the Comelec said that they will conduct an investigation regarding the issue of replacing trained poll body members with untrained ones in the electoral board (EB).
Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said that they will still verify the authenticity of the report or if there were grounds to actually replace the teachers since there are procedures and guidelines that need to be followed.
The EB is the one who will conduct the final testing and sealing of Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) as well as the voting and counting and transmission of election results.
Moreover, Casquejo said that he has already referred the report to the Comelec’s head on the Committee of Human Resource and Training.
According to him, once a person has been certified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) he or she can no longer be replaced because one of the requirements to serve in the electoral board is to be certified by DOST.
Casquejo explained that if certified members of the EB are replaced with someone who is not certified then there will be a problem. Furthermore, he mentioned that they will speak to the Regional Election Director (RED) in the area as well as the Provincial Election Supervisor (PES).
