Vice President Sara Duterte Announces Measures to Protect Teachers in BSKE 2023 Elections

City Unspecified – Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Z. Duterte addressed concerns about the safety and legal protection of teachers involved in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DepEd has recently collaborated with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) aimed at shielding teachers from potential election offenses and administrative complaints.

Duterte revealed that there have been issues in past elections where teachers have faced threats, legal challenges, and even fatalities while serving in electoral capacities. “Comelec and PAO have helped us so that the teachers will have representation if they want to file cases or if they received threats, or if they want legal support,” she said. To further this protective effort, a dedicated Comelec command center featuring a DepEd desk has been established to monitor real-time reports concerning teachers on duty during the BSKE 2023 elections.

For the upcoming elections, DepEd will actively receive and monitor reports from its field operations from noon until 5 p.m., extending the hours if necessary to cover the duration of the vote count. In her statements, Duterte also took the opportunity to encourage public participation in the electoral process, underlining the vital role barangay officials play as community front-liners.