Team PNoy senatorial candidate Risa Hontiveros on Friday/Apr. 19 called on the Commission on Elections to set aside a special protective fund for teachers who will be on poll duty for next month’s elections.
The former Akbayan party-list representative, who has shot up to 13th place in the recent Stratpoll survey of senatorial candidates, said the fund would go a long way in allaying fears of teachers regarding electoral violence and harassment.
“Kung matatandaan po natin, yung mga kaso ng harassment at karahasan laban sa ating mga guro noong mga nakaraang eleksiyon ay isang magandang dahilan para i-set up natin ang pondong ito,” Hontiveros pointed out.
She cited the case of two teachers who were burned to death when the school house they were in was torched by unidentified men.
“Dumarami sa media yung mga ulat at reklamo na ganyan, na siyang nagdudulot ng pangamba sa ating kaguruan at hindi natin sila dapat pabayaan,” she said in a media briefing at the Team PNoy headquarters in Makati City.
Hontiveros said the P3,000 election-duty allowance provided by the Comelec is not enough or commensurate to the risks to which teachers on poll duty are exposed.
With her improved ranking in the surveys, Hontiveros said she is now inspired to campaign even harder and reach out to more people.
“Wala man akong bitbit na mabigat na apelyido o maraming pera, tanging ang track record ko at ang aspirasyon ng ating mga mamamayan laban sa korapsyon, para sa kababaihan at sa kalusugan ang patuloy kong dadalhin,” Hontiveros said.
