KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines – Soldiers and policemen became instant election officials when some teachers of about 13 remote villages in Pikit, North Cotabato, refused to administer the balloting on Monday (Oct. 28) for security reasons.
More than 10,000 voters in 13 riverbank villages of Pikit failed to cast their votes, as of 12 noon Monday, because the Commission on Elections’ local office wanted the balloting held in the barangay and not at the town center as what teachers and voters wanted it to be.
Joel Celis, Pikit election officer, said the teachers brought the ballot boxes and election paraphernalia to Pikit Central School Monday morning and the voters from 13 villages followed to the new venue.
Earlier, incumbent village council members passed resolutions asking the Comelec to move the voting from the barangays to the town center for security and safety of teachers and voters. But Celis stressed the request was denied by Comelec-Manila.
“Election must be held in the barangay center and not here in Pikit elementary school,” Celis said, warning the teachers of possible legal action if they refused.
But the teachers vowed to disobey the order, claiming serious risk to their lives.
“Charge us if you want, we will not risk our lives there,” said one teacher identifying herself as Norabay, one of the 21 teachers assigned in Barangay Bagoinged.
“We know the situation in the area, we may be safe today but after election what will happen to us, that is what bothering us,” she said in the vernacular.
“Voters told us not to go to Bagoinged,” Norabay said, adding that the voters themselves came to the town center to vote.
The Comelec was firm that balloting must push through as scheduled in 13 barangays and not in Pikit central pilot school, Duque Kadatuan, the North Cotabato election director, said.
“There was confusion because the teachers were told the voting center was transferred to the town center…we have no transfer order,” Kadatuan said.
“We are moving to the barangays, if some teachers refuse, we will look for substitutes,” he said after meeting with police and military officials.
“We will do everything so we can hold the election in the 13 barangays, if all efforts failed, then we will declare failure of election,” Kadatuan said.
The Army recommended that the election push through because security plans have been in place and that there was no threat to the election.
“These barangays are secured, the teachers should believe us,” Capt. Antonio Bulao, Army provincial spokesperson, said.
Told that the teachers feared losing candidates might get back at them after election, Bulao said: “What’s the difference holding the election here in Poblacion and in the barangays, just the same there are winners and losers, what are they afraid of?”
Kadatuan said some teachers agreed to serve and used the remaining hours to facilitate election with soldiers and policemen assisting them.
Teachers assigned in Bagoinged left the ballot boxes and turned them over to the military. “We will not risk our lives,” one teacher said.
With the teachers out, the soldiers and policemen brought the ballot boxes at 11:45 a.m. to the interior barangays to start the balloting at 1 p.m.
But the voters who also trooped to the Pikit central school, did not board the truck, that would bring materials to the villages.
“Walang boboto doon sa barangay namin, andito kami lahat (Nobody will vote there, all the voters are here in Pikit Elementary School),” they said.
The 13 villages were earlier placed under police tight watch as an area of immediate concern due to the intense political rivalry and violence in previous elections.
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