4K ARMM teachers refuse poll duties

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Some 4,000 teachers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) refused to  serve during the Oct. 28 barangay elections due to security threats and relationship either by blood, or affinity with candidates.

Anwar Malang, local government secretary of ARMM, said they are now coordinating with the regional police office and the Armed Forces in a bid to formulate joint security measures in support of the efforts of the Commission on Elections to address the problem.

“It is very likely that police contingents from administrative regions will be brought in to help administer the elections in areas where teachers have already signified reluctance to serve during the actual elections day,” Malang said.

The ARMM covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in mainland Mindanao, the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

Malang said most of the thousands of public school teachers who refused to render election duties are assigned in far-flung areas in the autonomous region.

More than 70 teachers in Basilan, home-province of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, have also reportedly asked to be relieved of election duties owing to their being related to contenders for the position of barangay chairmen in areas where their schools are located.

Chief Supt. Noel Delos Reyes, director of the ARMM police, had earlier said there are enough policemen that can be trained to help administer the elections in hostile, isolated areas.

Malang said Hataman, who is chairman of ARMM’s peace and order council, had instructed all of his constituent-local executives to help the Comelec address the issue.

“The ARMM governor had also called on the mayors not to dip their fingers into the electoral exercise by endorsing, or providing direct support to favored candidates for barangay positions because this exercise is absolutely apolitical. It’s non-partisan at all,” Malang said..

Malang said some of the candidates for barangay chairmen in several ARMM towns are running either against siblings, or against relatives outside of their immediate families.

“That is what makes these barangay elections in the ARMM quite peculiar security-wise,” Malang pointed out.

Some Moro families that are locked in clan wars, which is called “rido” in the local vernacular, have also pitted candidates against aspirants from rival clans.

“In some cases, the barangay electoral contest becomes a `proxy war’ for feuding Moro clans. That makes the security situation `sticky’ and very complicated,” Malang said.

Most barangay officials in the autonomous region are also known for stockpiling firearms as status symbol, for protection from rival groups, and as “tools” for perpetuating power.