DepEd girds for May polls

The Department of Education is preparing its personnel for the coming elections as DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus ordered yesterday the creation of a task force to ensure the safety and welfare of almost half a million teachers given poll duties.

"While we look forward to that day when teachers are taken away from the difficult task and hazards associated with their poll duties, we also recognize our important responsibility, as mandated by our constitution," Lapus said in a statement.

The DepEd task force aims to provide a comprehensive monitoring and quick response to the concerns of teachers on the field during the elections in May 2007.

The task force will be chaired by DepEd Undersecretary for regional operations Ramon Bacani and co-chaired by DepEd Undersecretary for legal affairs Franklin Sunga.

As part of the preparations for the coming elections, the DepEd will conduct seminars on the technical and legal aspects of teachers’ poll duties to teachers and administrative and legal officers nationwide, he said.

"We would like to ensure that our teachers and other personnel are aware of the rights and responsibilities attached to this extraordinary work," he added.

The DepEd is also coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the orderly management and operations of the department in the different polling precincts.

The DepEd also plans to tap the Philippine National Police to ensure the safety and security of teachers.

Lapus stressed the importance of the participation of different citizens’ groups in helping the DepEd promote fairness and impartiality during the elections.

"We are working with all these different groups to facilitate not only the orderly management of the process, but to also ensure the conduct of clean and honest elections," he said.

Lapus also told the country’s public school teachers to "do your poll duties," saying that while this obligation will eventually be taken away from them, "this year it is still our obligation."