Comelec: BEIs to get refresher training for 2019 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct a refresher training for members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) serving in the 2019 elections, a Comelec official said on Tuesday.

During a joint congressional oversight committee on automated elections system on Tuesday, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III raised the issue that BEIs did not know what to do during the 2016 elections.

“Pinupursue natin ito because of the feedback nga I got more on the BEI did not know what to do during the 2016 elections forms were unfilled, hindi properly na-accomplish, etcetera, ” Pimentel said.

“Medyo hindi alam ng maraming BEI ang tamang gagawin which will be cured by proper training,” he added.

Comelec said that they are looking to conduct refresher training for the BEIs.

“We’ll conduct a refresher training mga two weeks before election kasi ang traning namin is February to March so medyo matagal pa po, nakakalimutan,” Comelec Director Ester Roxas said.

“Kaya we’re proposing to conduct a refresher training at least two weeks before elections,” she added.

The Comelec eyes to start the training of BEIs and technical support staff from Feb. 4 to March 30 in 2019.

The refresher training will be done from April 22 to April 26.

The Comelec said that they did not conduct a refresher training in the 2016 elections which could be the reason that the BEIs forgot what to do during the elections.

The Comelec said they will also revise the module for the general instructions for BEIs in the 2019 elections and it will be different from the one used in the 2016 elections.

“Inaayos namin ‘yung module, ipi-print namin siya nang mabilis. Doon sa module gagawin na parang bullet type para ma-review ng teachers,” Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said.

“Ina-adjust  namin yung module for the 2019 elections. Ipapasok namin yung instruction sa IP, etcetera. So lahat ituturo namin sa teachers,” Abas said.  /muf