4,000 cops to serve as poll tellers in barangay elections in ARMM

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

COTABATO CITY – Some 4,000 policemen will serve as special board of election tellers in the areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), where public school teachers have begged off from being deployed for poll duties during the October 28 barangay (village) elections.

Secretary Anwar Malang of the ARMM’s Department of the Interior and Local Government said he was informed by the Commission on Elections regional office in the ARMM that the decision was arrived at because “practically most, if not all of the teachers in the region’s five provinces have manifested their refusal to serve in the coming elections.”

Maguindanao election supervisor Udtog Tago said some 996 teachers across the province have declined to serve as poll inspectors.

A similar situation has been developing in the other ARMM provinces of Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Basilan and Lanao del Sur.

The teachers cited their past elections experiences, when they were reportedly subjected to various forms of harassments by politicians or their supporters.

Tago said in the case of Maguindanao teachers, they would rather not serve than undergo a similar experience anew.

“Although the coming polls were supposed to be apolitical, these could become a partisan exercise when elected officials start meddling to ensure the victory of their favored candidates,” Malang said.

He said policemen who would replace the election officers would undergo training to ensure that they would perform efficiently.

Malang said the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines would also be sending additional forces to some ARMM areas deemed areas of concern.

But even if security preparations were high, Malang said the ARMM government was banking on Thursday’s peace covenant signed by all candidates for orderly elections.

“Let’s also pray that there will be no violence and bloodshed as the election campaign reeled-off on Friday,” he said.

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