DepEd to establish Election Task Force
By ELNE PASAOL UBAY
Teacher III
Jose Calo Agudo Elementary School
Agusan del Sur
The Department of Education (DepEd) is one of the national agencies deputized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections, through the appointment of public school teachers to serve as chairpersons and members of the Election Board, as well as Technical Support Personnel.
As stated in DepEd Memorandum No. 10, s. 2022, by virtue of the authority granted by COMELEC to DepEd to ensure compliance with and enforcement of all orders and instructions relative to the election duties of DepEd personnel to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections, the 2022 DepEd Election Task Force (ETF) Operation and Monitoring Center for the May O9, 2O22 National and Local Elections (NLE) shall be established at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, starting at 1:00 p.m. of May 08, 2022 and ending at 5:OO p.m. of May 10, 2022.
Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has designated Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua and Undersecretary Revsee A. Escobedo as Chair and Vice Chair of the DepEd ETF Operations and Monitoring Center, respectively. They shall create committees and appoint its respective chairs and vice chairs, for approval of the Secretary. The creation of such committees and appointment of its respective chairs and vice chairs shall be made weeks before the day of NLE for preparatory purposes.
According to Secretary Briones, all regional and schools/city division offices of the Department are authorized to establish their respective ETF Operations and Monitoring Centers on the same schedules mentioned above.
The functions of ETF members include, but are not limited, to the following: maintain an Operation and Monitoring Center to document and report all teacher and school-related issues and concerns before, during and after the Elections; ensure that teachers are provided with and/or referred to adequate information, technical and legal assistance in the course of the performance of their duties as members of the Electoral Board; serve as DepEd institutional link to volunteer organizations and individuals; provide close horizontal and vertical coordination and consultation among DepEd, COMELEC and partner agencies involved in the 2O22 NLE; and complement the other government agencies’ e{forts for an honest, orderly and peaceful election. ###
