By DARLENE CAY
COMMISSION on Elections Chairman SixtoBrillantes Jr. on Wednesday reminded public school teachers who refused to serve as members of the Board of Election Tellers (BETs) of their civic duty.
“Ayaw naman nating ipilit (We do not want to impose). It’s not really in a sense, compulsory. But we’re always appealing to the civic-mindedness of the teachers,” he said.
Comelec said 1,750 teachers, including a number in North Cotabato and in some provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, refused their election duties and were replaced by the police.
The main reasons were threats to their security. Some teachers were also reportedly suggesting that election responsibilities be voluntary. And several teachers who served as election tellers reported problems with their honorarium.
Brillantes said he understands the risks that come with the job.