Teachers on poll duty to get free legal aid

from The Philippine Star

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=558967&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Public school teachers will get free legal assistance from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) if they face lawsuits while on poll duty on May 10.

However, free legal assistance will not be given in cases where the chairman or member of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) is the nominal complainant.

Justice Santiago Kapunan, IBP officer-in-charge, signed an agreement yesterday with Education Secretary Mona Valisno to formalize the IBP’s commitment to extend legal aid to teachers involved in election-related lawsuits.

Valisno said the agreement will set procedures on how public school teachers could avail of the free legal assistance.

“The MOA arises from our desire to promote and protect the welfare of the public school teachers who will again play a key role in this democratic exercise,” she said.

Kapunan said the agreement stipulates IBP’s commitment to DepEd to provide free legal assistance to public school teachers who will be charged administratively and criminally in the performance of their election duties.

Education Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Franklin Sunga said it has been standard practice for DepEd and the IBP to provide legal assistance for teachers in every election.

“However, since 2010 elections will be the very first automated national and local elections, it poses a whole new set of questions,” he said.

The free legal assistance shall be in the nature of court appearances and representations, preparation and submission of pleadings and other documents required to be produced in court and other legal services for the protection of the rights of teachers serving as chairmen or members of BEI.

Subject to IBP’s means and merit test, free legal assistance shall be provided and made available in administrative and criminal cases filed against a qualified public school teacher serving as BEI chairman or member.

Public school teachers have incurred the ire of candidates running for office, resulting in lawsuits against them.

Sometimes teachers performing election duties are wrongfully accused of wrongdoing.

These lawsuits have made teachers hesitant to undertake poll duty.

The law mandates DepEd to make available the services of public school teachers as BEI chairmen and members in the May 10 elections.

During the 2007 elections, the IBP extended free legal assistance to public school teachers facing law suits. – Rainier Allan Ronda