Melo: No more stressed-out teachers in polls


by Jesus F. Llanto, Newsbreak | 11/10/2009 1:11 PM

Comelec says number of election inspectors to be reduced by half

MANILA - Amid calls by a group to relieve public school teachers of the mandatory duties to serve at polling precincts, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is confident that the teachers would "welcome the duty" in 2010 because automation will make their work much easier than before.

Comelec chair Jose Melo said on Monday that the automation process will not expose the teachers to long hours of work nor to harassment by losing candidates.

Public school teachers are required by law to sit as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs). The manual system of elections has, for decades, required them to stay at the precincts until the wee hours of the morning following the elections, and to return to poll duties for the next 2-3 days, to finish tallying the votes.

“If automation is successful, the BEI’s will not be stressed out. They will welcome the duty unlike during the manual elections where they are exposed to long hours of works,” Melo said. “Once the polling time is closed, there’s an instantaneous count so the work of the BEI in an automated system will much be easier and lighter.”

Melo’s comments came a few days after the a group of teachers, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition, asked lawmakers to amend the election law so that teachers would be given the option to not render poll duties during elections.

Less teachers needed

Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, meanwhile, said that even the number of teachers needed for the election will be reduced because of the automation process. He said that from the 700,000 teachers required in previous elections, around "50 percent will be slashed."

Since the automation has reduced the number of precincts from 250,000 to 80,000, only around 300,000 teachers would be needed.

 “They will not be rendering so many overtimes because of the quick voting, counting, and transmission unlike before when they served for several days,” Sarmiento added.

Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said that the proposal by the teachers group to make poll duties voluntary will have serious effects on the conduct of the elections.

“It’s difficult. It may paralyze the BEI," Tagle said. “They should perform their civic duties."

“That is a requirement of the law. We cannot disobey the law. Unless the law is amended, then they have the obligation to serve,” said Sarmiento.

Section 164, Article XIV, of the Omnibus Election Code reads: “At least thirty days before the date when the voters list is to be prepared in accordance with this Code, in the case of a regular election or fifteen days before a special election, the Commission shall, directly or through its duly authorized representatives, constitute a board of election inspectors for each precinct to be composed of a chairman and a poll clerk who must be public school teachers, priority to be given to civil service eligibles, and two members, each representing the two accredited political parties.” (Newsbreak)
 

as of 11/10/2009 4:53 PM

PILIPINAS LABAN KAY COJUANGCO,SY,TAN,VILLAR ,PANGILINAN AT IBA P

Ang kinurakot na pera ng PILIPINAS ay nasa CORPORATION COMPANY sa PHILIPPINES,AMERICA,AUSTRALIA,SOUTH AMERICA AT ASYA lalo na sa CHINA.PLDT,Philippine Airlines,San Miguel,Manila Water at marami pang iba.Ilan lang ito sa pag-aari ng mga PILIPINO at ngayon ay pag-aari na ng mga magnanakaw na pulitiko at businessman.Inilalagay nila sa properties,business corporate shares para hindi mahalata ang ninakaw nila.Panahon na para maibalik ang yaman ng mga PILIPINO.Humingi tayo ng tulong kay HILLARY CLINTON na ifrozen ang money laundering galing sa bansa at iba pang bansa na pag-aari ng PILIPINO.Magugulat tayong lahat kung gaano kalaki ang nanakaw na pera ng mga PILIPINO.Itanong na rin natin ang mga kakandidatong PRESIDENTE,BISE,SENATORS,CONGRESSMAN at kung ang mga ito ay AMERICAN CITIZEN.Madali silang makakatakbo sa America kapag may masamang nangyari sa PHILIPPINES.Ito ang hamon sa ating mga mapagmahal sa bansa at kailan man ay hindi ipagpapalit ang bansang sinilangan.
Ngayon botohan na naman at marami sa ating kababayan ang talagang hindi naiintindihan ang nangyayari sa bansa.Araw-araw ay lumulubha ang sakit ng PILIPINAS.Kapag ibinoto ninyo ang isa sa mga ito,noynoy,teodoro,escudero,villar at estrada ay lalong lulubha ang sakit ng ating bayan.
Suportahan natin si BAYANI FERNANDO para lumaban na presidente.Kailangang mabawi natin ang mga yaman ng PILIPINAS.Siya lang ang mas higit sa mga kandidato at maniwala kayo madali nating mabubuwag ang tulad niya. Kapag siya ay nagkamali dahil hindi siya matandang pulitiko.SUPORTAHAN NATIN SI BAYANI FERNANDO PARA PRESIDENTE.
baGAY talaga si noynoy at mar roxas.



Nation Video


More Videos


Tower 1


Tower 2


Storypage Ad zedo