Saturday, May 19, 2007 Education chief says tutors will still serve in coming polls
EDUCATION Secretary Jesli Lapus has shrugged off a threat from an organization of teachers who said they will not serve anymore in future elections in the country saying that they teachers will continue to carry out election duties until a law is passed that prohibits it.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said they would not perform election duties anymore if poll-related violence would not be curbed in future elections.
ACT spokesman Antonio Tiņio said teachers were traumatized with the violence against teachers who served as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) in the May 14 elections.
"We're through with rendering poll duties. The death of one of our teachers only implies that security is not well-provided to us. We are afraid that this incident promotes the culture of impunity. Nellie's case will be part of statistic just like the unsolved killing of Filomena Tatlonghari,'' said Tinio.
High school teacher Nellie Banaag and poll watcher Letecia Ramos died in a fire that hit Pinagbayanan Elementary School in Taysan, Batangas after unidentified men, who later turned out to be policemen, raided the school, poured gasoline on ballot boxes and set it ablaze after shooting at it.
But Lapus said such incident is isolated.
"The entire half a million strong Dep-Ed organization demand swift justice, Our teachers have done their patriotic duty in the polls. We call on the PNP to immediately solve these crimes. Let the people know that violence in our teachers can never ever be tolerated. The full force of the law must be meted out. Our teachers deserve respect, praise and gratitude-not violence," Lapus said.
Banaag's family will receive P200,000 in cash as death insurance from the Commission on Election (Comelec), funeral assistance of P12,000 from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), P10,000 from the Philippine Public School Teachers Association, P10,000 from Pag-Ibig, and P50,000 from the Department of Education (DepEd). (AH/Sunnex)
