Comelec: BEIs have power of judges during election

The Commission on Election will train members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) to withstand pressures from candidates and their lawyers.

According to Ferdinand Gujildi, Cebu provincial election officer, the BEIs, a group composed of public school teachers, act like trial court judges during the election.

“I want to empower the BEIs. They actually have the power to control the conduct of the elections,” Gujilde told reporters yesterday.

He recalls past instances when some BEIs were just easily manipulated by lawyers of candidates who want to get inside the polling places.

“Lawyers can’t get inside polling places unless they vote or act as watchers,” Guijilde said.

“If a lawyer insists on getting inside a polling place and the proceedings are interrupted, the BEIs can summon the police to escort the lawyer out of the polling place,” he added.

Gujilde explained that BEIs have “quasi-judicial function” during elections.

“The BEIs have the supreme authority in polling places. Whatever they say is final and executory,” he said.

He said even members of the media cannot interview the BEIs,  take photographs or video footages of the proceedings inside the polling places even if the journalists are accredited by the Comelec.

“Not everyone can talk to the BEI. The media can’t interview them because they are handling official proceedings just like judges who are handling trials,” Gujilde said.

The seminar for the BEIs will be conducted by the Comelec days before the May 13, 2013 elections.

Aside from the BEIs, those allowed inside polling places are the support staff, representatives from the Comelec, technical people, voters, voters waiting for their turn to vote, watchers, jail escorts and special BEIs for detainees, and any other person specifically authorized.

Gujilde said foreign observers are allowed to interview the BEIs since they are covering the proceedings for transparency.

The BEIs are composed of three persons: the chairman, poll clerk, and the third member—all   are public schools teachers.

“The BEIs have the power to control or prevent situations from happening inside the polling places,” Gujilde said. /Ador Vincent Mayol, Reporter