A three-party Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Elections (Comelec), and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) on Monday to ensure appropriate protection of teachers who will be serving in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) set October 30, 2023.
The MOA provides a system to ensure teachers serving as members of the Electoral Board and other DepEd personnel involved in the electoral process will receive legal assistance.
“Hindi po mangyayari ang isang eleksyon kung walang mga guro. Bilang Secretary of Education, nais kong masiguro na mabibigyan ng angkop na proteksyon at suporta ang ating mga guro na nagsasakripisyo para maisagawa ng matagumpay ang halalan sa ating bansa,” Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said in a statement.
Anchored on the desire to fully implement the provisions of Republic Act 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act, the MOA was signed by the vice president, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia, and PAO chief Persida Acosta at the Comelec office in Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros.
“Nagsisilbi ang mga guro sa eleksyon sa kabila ng mga panganib na hinaharap nila. Wala akong natatandaan na eleksyon na walang insidente ng pananakot, pananakit, pang-aatake sa mga guro at sa kanilang mga pamilya. Ginagawa ito ng mga guro dahil sa pagmamahal nila sa Pilipinas,” the vice president said.
Duterte also called on the Comelec to release the allowances of teachers serving in the elections on time.
She also expressed gratitude to the Comelec and PAO for the initiative that showed their concern for the safety and welfare of teachers.
