Comelec: No criminal charges against electoral teachers who withdrew on BSKE

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 3)— The Commision on Elections (Comelec) said on Friday that it will not file criminal charges against the teachers who withdrew as poll workers in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) elections.

«Again, we will not file cases against teachers lalong-lalo na sa mga hindi nagsilbi at nag withdraw prior to the election. Lalong-lalo na po yon, 'yung 3,000? Hindi po sila fa-file-an ng cases. Simply because it's an absolute right to refuse to serve on election day,» Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a press briefing on Friday.

[Translation: Again, we will not file cases against teachers, especially those who served or even those who withdrew as poll workers prior to the election. Especially [the] 3,000? Simply because it's an absolute right to refuse to serve on election day.]

Garcia said that the teachers were only victims of the ones who were threatening them.

Investigations would be conducted to identify those who might have threatened the teachers, Garcia added. He said the Comelec will punish the responsible ones.

«Ito po nililiwanag ko baka kasi ma mis-quote ako, wala tayong planong magpakulong ng kahit isang guro, hindi po natin intensyon 'yan. Mga bayani po natin 'yan hindi mo tini-treat na kriminal ang mga bayani,» he said.

[Translation: I am clarifying because I might be misquoted, we are not planning to jail any teacher, that's not our intention. They are heroes and you don't treat heroes as criminals.]

Poll workers honoraria

Meanwhile, there will be no overtime pay for the teachers who served as poll workers. However, Garcia said the agency is pushing for a higher pay and additional incentives.

READ: Comelec: Teachers' honoraria for BSKE to be distributed until Friday

He said that the overtime pay will be thumbed down by the Commision on Audit, as it has no budget for this.

«Ang ipu-push namin ay dagdagan 'yung service incentive. Sa halip na P5,000 baka puwedeng gawin P10,000, kakausapin natin 'yung DepEd dun,» he said.

[Translation: We will push to raise the service incentive. Instead of P5,000, we are trying to make it P10,000, we will have to talk to the Department of Education.]