PIKIT, NORTH COTABATO, (PNA) –- Policemen have started undergoing orientation and training on administering barangay elections ahead of actual duty on November 8 special village polls in 13 barangays here.
Joel Celis, Pikit election officer, said the policemen, all from outside Pikit, have been doing “hands-on” training on the use of election paraphernalia in preparation for the poll duties.
Voters, number about 10,000 have failed to cast their votes on November 28 due to the refusal of public school teachers to administer the balloting in the barangay center.
For security reason, they prefer to hold the barangay election inside the Pikit Central Elementary School, an act junked by the Comelec.
When told to bring the election paraphernalia and ballot boxes to 13 villages with Army and police as their security escorts, the teachers decided to return the poll materials to Comelec office.
Celis said 153 policemen have no experience in poll duties thus the North Cotabato Comelec office recommended to Comelec en banc to hold the special polls on Nov. 8 to give them more time to train the policemen.
Lawyer Duque Kadatuan, North Cotabato poll chief, said policemen performing poll duties came from other towns to remove speculations of partiality.
Kadatuan said the Comelec is conducting investigation on the teachers’ refusal to hold the election in 13 villages.