Treasurers’ reshuffle set in NCR

Soldiers start casting their ballots in advance voting Reshuffle of Metro Manila treasurers okayed by DoF

By ARIS R. ILAGAN

The Department of Finance (DoF) has approved the recommendation of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and the Philippine Election Forum (PEF) to reshuffle all the city and municipal treasurers in Metro Manila to spare them from possible political pressure from candidates in the May 14 elections.


In a speech during the Namfrel General Assembly at the Traders Hotel in Pasay City, Dr. Vic Endriga, head of the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors (PHALTRA), said teachers with poll duties in the May 14 elections will be given their allowance when they get the ballot boxes.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already approved the release of funds, Endriga said.

"Now with the proposal of Namfrel to reshuffle all treasurers nationwide, we would like to announce that partially, it is already being done," Endriga told Namfrel members, representatives of government agencies, and other volunteers in ensuring the conduct of clean, honest, and peaceful elections.

"All of the treasurers from the National Capital Region will be reshuffled," Endriga said. The treasurers in cities and municipalities officially receive election paraphernalia including ballots and ballot boxes from the Comelec, and are duty-bound to do safekeeping work on the ballots and election returns for the poll body.

Among those present in the gathering were Comelec Commisioner Resurreccion Borra, Namfrel national chairman Edward Go, Namfrel founding chairman Jose S. Concepcion Jr., Namfrel national co-chairman Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, and Philippine National Police National Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections) head Deputy Director General Antonio Billiones.

Endriga, city treasurer of Quezon City, said that he already received notice that he will be re-assigned to Makati City.

The city and municipal treasurers had been deputized by the Comelec to prepare election materials and paraphernalia for distribution to polling precincts.

While still waiting for Comelec approval of the reshuffle, municipal and city treasurers in Metro Manila have began preparing for their transfers, Endriga said.

He said that the Namfrel, through the PEF, had earlier recommended the reshuffle of city and municipal treasurers in different parts of the country 15 days before Election Day to prevent them from being influenced by political candidates.

The Namfrel and the PEF recommended to the Comelec that the city and municipal treasurers stay in their post 15 days more after Election Day.

Endriga expressed optimism that the reshuffle of treasurers will not only be implemented in Metro Manila, but also in other parts of the country to ensure clean and fair elections this year.

On the early release of allowances for teachers with poll duties, Endriga said: "This is very good news. For the first time in the history of elections, the teachers will immediately get their allowances on the day they get the ballot boxes."

Under the new scheme, 50 percent of the total R3,000 election allowance, or R1,500, will be given to the teachers on the first day they assume their poll duties and the balance of R 1,500 will be paid immediately when they return the ballot boxes.

Aside from the timely pay of election allowances, Endriga said the teachers will also receive R300 transportation allowance.

During previous elections, government was swarmed with complaints from public school teachers about the delay in the release of the allowance for poll duties, some complaining they got their allowances four months after the elections.


900 soldiers expected to vote in local absentee voting


The six-day local "absentee voting" for Philippine Army personnel started yesterday in Fort Bonifacio to allow the soldiers to provide support to the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the May 14 elections without depriving them of their right to vote.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Philippine Army spokesman, said about 900 Army soldiers who applied for "absentee voting" privileges were expected at polling places inside Fort Bonifacio.

Torres said that another round of absentee voting will be conducted for Army soldiers from May 4 to May 6.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allowed "absentee voting" for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are expected to be assigned to far- flung areas to ensure the conduct of honest, orderly, and peaceful May 14 elections.

The Comelec is also authorized to order the deployment of troops in critical areas where private armed groups, communist insurgents, secessionist rebels, and terrorist elements might disrupt the electoral process.

"The AFP would continue to review and assess the situation to determine if there is a need to maintain, increase, or reduce the deployment of troops in some areas," Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., AFP chief of staff, said.

The deployment of soldiers in critical areas considered by Comelec as "areas of immediate concern" will depend on the recommendation of the PNP.

"We thank all those who are with us in advocating for educated voters. However, we shall give priority to Comelec-ordered deployments, especially where there will be a serious armed threat or violence due to intense political rivalry," Esperon said.

In a telephone interview, Torres said that the absentee voting was being watched by representatives of the Comelec in Fort Bonifacio.

He said that top Army officers had ealier instructed Army commanders "to encourage their subordinates to take part in the absentee voting in anticipation of possible election duties as required by the Comelec on Election Day and after." (Aris R. Ilagan)


Low turnout seen on first day of local absentee voting


By E.T. SUAREZ


The six-day local absentee or advance voting for 39,580 military, police and government employees who have poll duties on May 14 was off to a smooth start yesterday but yielded a relatively low turnout, the Commission on Elections said.

The low turnout was reported even in areas where thousands had applied to vote in advance such as Region 9 (Western Mindanao), Region 11 (Northern Mindanao), Region 5 (Bicol), Region 4A (Southern Tagalog), and Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).

Records at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Committee on Local Absentee Voting headed by Commissioner Florentino A. Tuason Jr. showed that of the 6,704 in Western Mindanao who applied to vote in advance, 5,162 have been approved, while of the 6,997 applicants in Northern Mindanao, 4,624 have been approved.

The other regions with high number of applicants approved for local absentee voting but yielded a low turnout on the first day are Bicol with 3,795 advance voters, Southern Tagalog 4A with 3,775, and Eastern Visayas with 3,704.

The other regions and their corresponding number of local absentee voters are National Capital Region (NCR), 2,054; Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 396; Ilocos, 523; Cagayan Valley, 1,786; Central Luzon, 2,085; Southern Tagalog-B, 1,305; Western Visayas, 2,359; Central Visayas, 833; Southern Mindanao, 1,291; Central Mindanao, 2,673; Caraga, 1,050; and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), 2,027.

Members of the Committee on Local Absentee Voting are confident the turnout out will improve in the next five days.

Tuason said those who applied for advance voting but have not yet voted could do so today and on April 30, and May 4, 5 and 6.