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Thursday, March 18, 2004
Teachers can skip poll job
Although the deadline was set for the appointment of the members of the board of election inspectors (BEIs), changes could still be made if teachers are physically incapable of handling the task.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 6420 set last Tuesday as the last day for the appointment of BEIs for the May 10 polls.
However, aside from changes due to disqualification, Acting Provincial Election Supervisor Edwin Cadungog said some teachers could be transferred because of complaints or may be replaced for health reasons.
20 teachers
In Cebu City, Schools Division Superintendent Leonilo Oliva said only less than 20 teachers have so far submitted requests for exemption, citing vision problems and the incapability to handle “stress” due to ailments. All applications were supported by medical certificates, which will be studied by Comelec officials.
But no teacher should be allowed to serve as BEIs if he or she is related up to the fourth degree by either blood or by marriage to any candidate in the locality where he or she is assigned.
BEIs, according to Section 168 of the Omnibus Election Code, conduct the voting and the counting of votes in the polling places and ensure that the proceedings are done in a free, orderly and honest manner. Public school teachers would not have been required to serve in the May 10 elections had the automated polls been carried out in pilot areas, including Cebu.
But the automated elections were scrapped after the Supreme Court ruled that there were irregularities in Comelec’s P1.3-million bidding of the counting machines.
Meanwhile, the Cebu City Comelec south district office is expected to get back on Tuesday yet the voters registration records (VRRs) that were used in the protest filed by lawyer Aristotle Batuhan against Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south) in 2001.
Cadungog said there is still a lot of work to be done once the VRRs arrive.
Election Assistant Edwin Serrano said they will have to update the VRRs by adding the names of the new voters eligible to cast their ballots for the May 10, 2004 polls.
They will have to group the voters by 200 and assign the new precinct numbers.
However, based on the number of voters in the VRRs and the new registrants, Serrano said they have already reported to Comelec Manila that there is a total of 1,537 precincts in Cebu City’s south district.
The new list, he added, will only be for the use of the local Comelec during election day. CYR
(March 18, 2004 issue)
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