ACT teachers group calls out Comelec’s ‘unpreparedness’

A PROGRESSIVE group of teachers hit the Commission on Election (Comelec) for being unprepared in the midterm elections on Monday.

Ophelia Tabacon, chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in Northern Mindanao said the lack of preparation was a hassle for teachers who was tasked to be the electoral board for the elections.

She said the teachers weren’t ready for the number of vote counting machines (VCMs) and SD (Secure Digital) cards that malfunctioned.

Others, she said, have to work overtime, feeding the official ballots all over again to the VCMs after the SD cards stopped working.

“Nanawagan mi nga idoble unta ang compensation para sa mga teachers kay less gyud ang preparations, na-hassle ang mga teachers, luoy apil ang voters nga grabe ang hulat,” she said.

City Comelec officer lawyer Ramil Acol echoes the same call in terms of giving additional compensation for teachers who worked overtime.

He said he hopes Comelec Manila will consider given the extra effort exerted by the electoral board composed of teachers.

In Cagayan de Oro, 14 SD cards malfunctioned so 14 electoral boards had to come back and feed the ballots all over again to the VCMs.

“Wala gyuy additional, kung akoy pabut-on maayo na itimes 2 ilang sweldo ana kay luoy kaayo sila kapoy kaayo ilang trabaho. Maayo unta makahuna-huna among mga labaw sa Manila nga ilang iconsider ang ka hago nga doble aning mga teachers nato nga nga naapektuhan aning defected SD cards,” he said.