DepEd: No order barring teachers’ unions from election duty

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday clarified that it did not issue any order barring members of teachers’ unions from serving as election inspections.

The education agency issued the statement after the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) alleged that certain local offices of the DepEd had declared the “ineligibility” of its members to be part of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in the upcoming midterm elections.

The teachers’ union had condemned the alleged act as “yet another attack against teachers’ right to self-organization and a dirty attempt to persecute ACT.”

“There had been no issuance by DepEd Central Office prohibiting members of ACT or any teachers’ unions or associations and announcing their ineligibility to serve as part of the electoral boards in the upcoming midterm polls,” DepEd said in a statement.

READ: Members of teachers’ union banned from election duty

DepEd said ACT, noting that its allegations are “not validated,” should present “specific and validated” incidents when DepEd officials prohibited their members from election service.

“Reading closely ACT’s statement we see its internal inconsistencies, and the resulting disinformation and malicious imputations. It acknowledges in the statement itself that their allegations are not validated,” the DepEd said.

“Before condemning, ACT should come forward with specific and validated incidents when alleged DepEd local officials prohibited election service of their members who are public school teachers,” it added.

DepEd said it is ACT that should clarify whether or not its members are also members of the ACT Teachers Party-list because, if so, they may be disqualified as BEI under Article IX-C Section 8 of the Constitution.

Under the said provision, political parties, organizations or coalitions registered under the party-list system shall not be represented in the voter’s registration boards, boards of election inspectors, boards of canvassers, or other similar bodies, the DepEd noted.

DepEd also stressed ACT should clarify the issue with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as it is the polling body that will constitute and appoint electoral boards.

“Relatedly, it may be asked whether membership of public school teachers and other government employees in an electoral party, such as party-lists, does not violate the laws prohibiting civil servants from engaging in partisan political activities,” DepEd said.

“Again, this is an issue best addressed to Comelec, and the Civil Service Commission,” it added. /muf