ESRA to address effective, truthful elections

Voters look their names at the voters' lists outside the voting center at the Iligan City National High School (ICNHS).

Iligan City - Some reactions from teachers didn’t know the new law on ESRA, the Republic Act 10756, otherwise known as the Election Service Reform Act (ESRA). This law is to address the problem on the ineffectiveness of the election service during elections.

The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) network nationwide headed by the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) based in Quezon City, conducted the nationwide survey with its network non-government organizations (NGOs) on the new law during the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. The ESRA was approved into law in 2015. The purpose of the survey is to strengthen the said law to be more effective and responsive in the next succeeding elections.

At left, Mr. Rex Razo, School principal, ICNHS

The ESRA was conceptualized by the LENTE in 2013 to address the concerns of teachers to serve as poll workers to ensure the proper conduct of the elections. Mr. Rex Razo, School principal of Iligan City National High School (ICNHS) said that they informed the teachers who wish to serve the elections. He said the conduct of the Barangay and SK Elections 2018 at ICNHS is relatively peaceful. 

In past decade elections was like a public market selling goods meaning rampant vote buying within and outside the polling place giving sample ballots to the voters when entering to the polling precincts.

Barangay elections was the most crucial and critical elections than the local, midterm and national elections because it’s a personalize elections even relatives are opponents in running for barangay elections and some personal issues become political issues.

In areas considered hotspots with absence of law enforcements, some cases the candidates will engage on shooting to defend their position of winning the elections at all costs. That’s why teachers will not serve as poll workers during elections especially in hotspots areas for safety reasons.

Voters look names at Iligan City Central School lists

Some teachers will not serve due to meager budget on allowances with less benefits. others learned a lesson that their allowances will not be released in due time. In the new law public school teachers are no longer compulsory to serve during elections but they are still priority and preference by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) if they are willing to serve during elections.

In the same law, as soon as the public school teachers will not serve as poll workers during elections, an order of next priority to serve are allowed in the said law, first, is the private school teachers; national government employees such as the non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd), other national government officials and employees holding regular or permanent positions, excluding uniformed personnel of the Department of National Defense and all its attached agencies; members of the commission-accredited citizen arms or other CSOs and NGOs duly accredited by the commission; and any registered voter of the city or municipality of known integrity and competence who is not connected with any candidate and political party. Teachers and other interested persons are prohibited to serve in the Election with relations to the candidates up to the 4th civil degree of affinity or consanguinity. 

In cases where the peace and order situation requires as determined by the commission and where there are no qualified voters willing to serve, uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police shall be deputized to render election service as a last resort.

The persons rendering election service shall be entitled with honoraria and allowances including other benefits. The chairperson of the Election boards shall receive an honoraria of PhP6,000.00; the members of the electoral boards PhP5,000.00; the department of Education Supervisor Official shall receive 4,000.00; and the support staff shall receive PhP2,000.00; All of them are entitled an additional travel allowance of PhP1,000.00. Such honoraria and allowances shall be given within 15 days from the date of the Election otherwise it is considered an election offense.  A minimum of five (5) days service credits shall accrue to all persons rendering election service including legal assistance, medical and death benefits for election related risks to be drawn from the trust fund.

Most of the reports in 2018 Barangay Elections whose names of voters were not found in the lists of voters at poll precincts but can be found in the lists of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and at the Comelec office. The Board of Election Tellers composed of chairman and two members will not allow the person to vote without their names in the official list of voters.

The Senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and pregnant women hardly voted during the elections because some of them found their poll precincts at the 2nd floor of the two-story building. They suggested to have their poll precincts at the ground floor.

There were also reported cases that a barangay Treasurer and Secretary were allegedly caught campaigning inside the polling place in favor of their re-electionist incumbent Barangay chairman in Barangay Poblacion this city, a potential violations of the election law that might be a reason for disqualification of a certain candidate.

Mayor Jabar Tago of Pantar, Lanao del Norte with his relatives was reportedly caught by the Military confiscated nine high powered firearms, five shotguns and a short firearm pistol with assorted ammunitions found in their family compound in the said municipality without any incidents of firefight.

The 2018 Barangay and SK elections in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte was generally peaceful. (by Jun Enriquez, photos by Salve Gimena).