DILG backs possible raps vs. cops, teachers over delays in BSKE 2023

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday expressed support to the plan to file charges against cops and teachers who backed out of poll duties at the last minute that caused delay in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said an investigation should be conducted first to determine if these poll workers had valid reasons for suddenly quitting from the tasks.

“I am supporting it. Bakit? Pinaghandaan iyan. They were trained. At importante sa lahat iyong mismong araw ng eleksiyon. This is suffrage. This is the right to vote,” Abalos said.

(I am supporting. Why? Because preparation has been made. They were trained. And the day of the actual elections was important. This is suffrage. This is the right to vote.)

“Isipin mo, just because of that act, we will be denying people of that right to suffrage. That's unthinkable. …Unless, of course, may valid reason naman,” he added.

(Think about it, just because of the act, we will be denying people of the right to suffrage. That’s unthinkable…Unless, of course, there was a valid reason.)

On Tuesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) vowed to file criminal and administrative charges against teachers and cops who delayed the 2023 BSKE due to their sudden withdrawal for their duties.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia said, "If we study the Omnibus Election Code, criminal po iyon eh, at the same time, administrative. Hindi kasi puede [na ganun na lang eh] kasi otherwise, mauulit nang mauulit."

(It is a criminal offense and an administrative offense at the same time. We cannot just let it go because it will happen over and over again.)

“Okay lang magwithdraw prior [to Election Day] kasi naiintindihan naman po namin na hindi mandatory ang Election Day service. Pero, kung halimbawa, ikaw na na-train na, pagkatapos nagkagastos-gastos na kami, tapos on the day of the election, bigla ka magwi-withdraw. Worse, iyong pinalit namin, bigla rin magwi-withdraw. Something is wrong with that,” Garcia added.

(It would be fine if you withdraw before election day because election service is not mandatory. But if you already trained, and we already spent for training, then on election day, you will withdraw from poll service. And worse, even the replacements also withdrew.)

Garcia said that around 2,530 teachers backed out of their voluntary election day service in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Asked what made even the police officers, the backup Board of Election Inspectors, also beg off, Garcia said the police said they were caught off guard by the sudden need to render election service.

Garcia, however, was not satisfied with the explanation.

“They said it was about a short amount of time. Yes, it was a short time, but we trained them for it,” Garcia said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News