Department of Education-7 regional director Carolino Mordeno clarified that the DepEd regional office will not sanction public school teachers who failed to turn over election returns on time, as in the case of one Lapu-Lapu City teacher who overslept and submitted the election returns late.
Mordeno expressed in yesterday’s Kapamilya Media Forum held at SM City-Cebu that “it is up to the Commission on Elections whether they would want to impose sanctions on public school teachers who failed to deliver the election returns at the official canvassing center on time.”
“Public school teachers are deputized by the Comelec, so it’s up to the Comelec officials on what appropriate actions they would want to undertake against erring teachers,” Mordeno said.
When asked on the matter, Comelec officer Marchel Sarno said that he considers the late turnover of election returns to the Board of Canvassers a minimal mistake. “But whether it was an honest mistake, we still have to investigate it further,” Sarno said.
He also made it clear that those teachers who failed to bring on time the election returns to the BOC will also have the remaining balance of their honorarium delayed, unless they will be able to prove that there was no malice in their failure to bring the election returns on time.
Tribu Guardo legal counsel Ervin Estandarte also complained on the delay of the election returns and asked the Comelec to take appropriate action against public school teachers involved.
Estandarte cited delay in the turnover of election returns of barangays Guadalupe, Punta Princesa and Inayawan. — Ramil V. Ayuman/MEEV