Teachers refuse poll duty in North Cotabato town

MANILA, Philippines - Teachers in 13 barangays in Pikit, North Cotabato have refused to go to their assigned barangay polling centers due to security concerns, delaying the elections on Monday.

A report by the Philippine News Agency said that as of 10 a.m., Pikit election officer Joel Celis was still meeting with teachers and representatives from the military and police.

The news agency reported that according to Celis, the teachers have sent a request from the main office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to allow them to hold the elections at the Pikit town center.

The request was also backed by resolutions passed by village councils of the 13 barangays, which were earlier identified by the Comelec as "areas of immediate concern."

"These resolutions were rejected by Comelec Manila," Celis said. "So election must be held in the barangay and not at the town center as teachers and village officials wanted it to be."

Superintendent Noel Kinazo, deputy director for operations of the North Cotabato provincial police office, said that they have already secured the barangay polling precincts but the teachers still refused to report for their poll duty.

“The Army and PNP personnel are already in the area, we have secured the voting centers but still they prefer to hold the election in the town center,” Kinazo said.

“Time element is of precious importance for the voters and everyone here…sayang ang oras, the Comelec has to decide,” he added.