Party-list wants ACT members barred from serving in May
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 08:11:00 +0000
The Tao Muna party-list group wants members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers prohibited from serving as members of the Board of Election Inspectors in the May 13 polls.
In a letter to the Commission on Elections, Tao Muna Secretary General Mohammad Fajardo said ACT is a political party under the party-list system and is actually a contender for a party-list seat in the House of Representatives in the elections.
“Under the Omnibus Election Code and civil service laws, public officers and employees are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities. Thus, mere membership in ACT would amount to this prohibition,” he said.
“Under our election laws however, members of the BEI, particularly the chairman and poll clerk, must be public school teachers. In as much as most members of ACT are public school teachers, thus, it is unlawful for them to be appointed as BEI members,” added Fajardo.
He said BEI members, who are also members of ACT, could cause undue advantage and influence in favor of their party-list and to the disadvantage of other party-lists or other candidates running in the coming elections, whose campaign platforms or public pronouncements may be perceived as antagonistic to the ACT’s advocacies or cause.
“In this regard, the undersigned strongly urges the Commission to strictly implement the law by not appointing public school teachers, who are members of ACT, to ensure fair and orderly conduct of elections,” Fajardo said.
“We are certain that there are non-partisan teachers or government employees who are likewise capable of performing the duties of a BEI member,” he added. (Leslie Ann Aquino)