4,000 ARMM teachers refuse to serve in barangay polls

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

Anwar Malang, ARMM local government secretary, said they are now coordinating with the police and military to formulate joint security measures supporting 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 signified their reluctance to serve on election day,” Malang said.

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

Malang said most of the public school teachers who refuse to render poll 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 because of their ties with those aspiring to be chiefs of villages where their schools are located.

Chief Superintendent Noel de los Reyes, ARMM police director, earlier had said there were enough policemen who could be trained to help administer the elections in hostile, isolated areas.

Malang said Hataman has instructed all local officials to help the Comelec address the issues hounding the village polls.

Hataman, according to Malang, has also called on 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 some of the candidates for barangay chairmen in several ARMM towns are running either against siblings or relatives.

“That is what makes these barangay elections in the ARMM quite peculiar security-wise,” he said.

Some Moro families have also fielded candidates against each other, making the village polls a “proxy war” in their continuing clan war or “rido.”

“That makes the security situation ‘sticky’ and very complicated,” Malang said.

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