BALANGA CITY, Bataan – A public school teacher and officers of various teachers’ organizations on Monday lambasted the provincial election supervisor of Bataan for allegedly calling them thieves after the seven pelt markers were missing during their training for the upcoming May automated elections.
Geraldine Bansil, a 37-year old Grade VI-5 teacher, said that she was offended after hearing the remarks of Duque. That was when she was about to get her P2,000-honorarium for the two-day seminar with other members of the Board of Election Inspectors from Balanga City and Bagac, Bataan.
She said Duque announced that six marking pens used in the shading of the ballots were missing. When Duque went back to his seat, the lawyer allegedly uttered these words to his staff: “Mga guro pa naman magnanakaw. That is dishonesty.”
“Public apology ang kinakailangan para sa mga kaguruan sa Bataan dahil sa akusasyon na magnanakaw kami,” said Bansil who started teaching since 2003.
However, Atty. Elmo Duque, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief in Bataan, denied the accusation and said he was not onion-skinned, even thanking the teachers for voicing the complaint “that will make me more a better public servant.”
Bansil said she was only about two to three meters away from Duque. “Malakas ang boses ni Atty. Duque sa pagsasalita niya sa mga staff kaya dinig na dinig ko ang sinabi niya.,” the teacher said. She said she was hurt and reacted sharply.
Because of her negative reaction, the payroll master at first even refused to give her honorarium and reportedly asked the teacher to apologize to Duque. But Bansil said “No.”
“Duque even told me to sit beside him to clarify the issue but I answered “No”, Bansil added.
She also said that a co-teacher informed her that “Duque asked for my name and allegedly want me out of the BEI.”
Hermie Albelda, vice-president of the 3,800-strong Bataan Public School Teachers and Employees Association (BPSTEA), said Bansil was teary-eyed when she reported the incident to their office.
“Sa palagay namin dapat ng bigyan ng leksiyon ang attorney na iyon, masyadong arrogante at naniniwala kami na nagsasabi ng totoo ang teacher sapagka’t nang magsumbong sa amin mangiyak-ngiyak,” said Albelda who is also the vice-president of the Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers (ASSERT) in Centra Luzon.
James Pagduan, BPSTEA president and ASSERT national president, said that public school teachers serving during elections act as deputies of Comelec and therefore deserve proper respect from the poll body.
“Nakalulungkot na isa pang mataas na opisyal ng Comelec ang magsasabing magnanakaw ang kanyang mga deputies sa Balanga dahil lang sa anim na misplaced marker. Ang ganitong statement, ang ganitong aktuasyon ay kinokondena namin sapagka’t tahasang paglapastangan ito sa kredibilidad at integridad ng mga guro na pinagtitiwalaan sa pagsasagawa ng eleksiyon,” he said.
Pagaduan also said that they expect Comelec and the Department of Education “na aalalayan ang mga public school teachers sa kauna-unahan pa namang automated election pero sa training pa lang pinagbibintangan ng magnanakaw.”
Duque vehemently denied uttering the words attributed to him. “On imputation that I have told them to have stolen something, I beg to apologize on the matter. I have never stated such statement. What I said was it is prohibited to take out of polling places election paraphernalia,” he said.
He said that an election officer discovered that seven pelt markers were missing on the closing of the seminar on Tuesday (March 9).
Duque said he was merely telling his staff that teachers should be accounted for the materials as part of their training. “My purpose of asking accuracy, responsibility in handling election forms and materials, however, created a misimpression” he added.
“I did not mean any offense, all what I was asking was a question of accounting of the matter. I am regretful for whatever misconception my personality has created on the way I talk, my face being fierce that I am so often misunderstood,” Duque said.
Geraldine Bansil, a 37-year old Grade VI-5 teacher, said that she was offended after hearing the remarks of Duque. That was when she was about to get her P2,000-honorarium for the two-day seminar with other members of the Board of Election Inspectors from Balanga City and Bagac, Bataan.
She said Duque announced that six marking pens used in the shading of the ballots were missing. When Duque went back to his seat, the lawyer allegedly uttered these words to his staff: “Mga guro pa naman magnanakaw. That is dishonesty.”
“Public apology ang kinakailangan para sa mga kaguruan sa Bataan dahil sa akusasyon na magnanakaw kami,” said Bansil who started teaching since 2003.
However, Atty. Elmo Duque, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief in Bataan, denied the accusation and said he was not onion-skinned, even thanking the teachers for voicing the complaint “that will make me more a better public servant.”
Bansil said she was only about two to three meters away from Duque. “Malakas ang boses ni Atty. Duque sa pagsasalita niya sa mga staff kaya dinig na dinig ko ang sinabi niya.,” the teacher said. She said she was hurt and reacted sharply.
Because of her negative reaction, the payroll master at first even refused to give her honorarium and reportedly asked the teacher to apologize to Duque. But Bansil said “No.”
“Duque even told me to sit beside him to clarify the issue but I answered “No”, Bansil added.
She also said that a co-teacher informed her that “Duque asked for my name and allegedly want me out of the BEI.”
Hermie Albelda, vice-president of the 3,800-strong Bataan Public School Teachers and Employees Association (BPSTEA), said Bansil was teary-eyed when she reported the incident to their office.
“Sa palagay namin dapat ng bigyan ng leksiyon ang attorney na iyon, masyadong arrogante at naniniwala kami na nagsasabi ng totoo ang teacher sapagka’t nang magsumbong sa amin mangiyak-ngiyak,” said Albelda who is also the vice-president of the Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers (ASSERT) in Centra Luzon.
James Pagduan, BPSTEA president and ASSERT national president, said that public school teachers serving during elections act as deputies of Comelec and therefore deserve proper respect from the poll body.
“Nakalulungkot na isa pang mataas na opisyal ng Comelec ang magsasabing magnanakaw ang kanyang mga deputies sa Balanga dahil lang sa anim na misplaced marker. Ang ganitong statement, ang ganitong aktuasyon ay kinokondena namin sapagka’t tahasang paglapastangan ito sa kredibilidad at integridad ng mga guro na pinagtitiwalaan sa pagsasagawa ng eleksiyon,” he said.
Pagaduan also said that they expect Comelec and the Department of Education “na aalalayan ang mga public school teachers sa kauna-unahan pa namang automated election pero sa training pa lang pinagbibintangan ng magnanakaw.”
Duque vehemently denied uttering the words attributed to him. “On imputation that I have told them to have stolen something, I beg to apologize on the matter. I have never stated such statement. What I said was it is prohibited to take out of polling places election paraphernalia,” he said.
He said that an election officer discovered that seven pelt markers were missing on the closing of the seminar on Tuesday (March 9).
Duque said he was merely telling his staff that teachers should be accounted for the materials as part of their training. “My purpose of asking accuracy, responsibility in handling election forms and materials, however, created a misimpression” he added.
“I did not mean any offense, all what I was asking was a question of accounting of the matter. I am regretful for whatever misconception my personality has created on the way I talk, my face being fierce that I am so often misunderstood,” Duque said.
