Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 24) — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday assured financial assistance for families of employees who become victims of work-related violence, but admitted it is “clearly not enough.”
“The poll body’s top officials swiftly agree upon the recommendation of this nature to at least ease the burden of the victims and of their families, although this is clearly not enough,” Garcia said in a statement.
“It is the obligation of the Comelec, not only to give financial support, but to ensure man lang na hindi na niya ito sasaloobin pa na problema. Kahit man lang ang asawa o kaniyang anak ay mabigyan ng trabaho ng Comission on Elections,” he added.
[Translation: It is the obligation of the Comelec, not only to give financial support, but to at least ensure that he will not consider it a problem anymore. At least the wife or child will be given a job by the Commission on Elections.]
Last October 2021, Aknam Hasim, a Comelec officer in Maluso town, Basilan, was ambushed together with his family.
Hasim fortunately survived, but the incident left him visually impaired while his daughter sustained serious injuries.
READ: PNP seeks probe into attack on election officer in Basilan
In July 2022, Ruayna Sayyadi, also an elections’ officer in Albarka town in Basilan, was gunned down while she was conducting voter’s registration activities.
The Comelec added that the poll body was continuously monitoring activities of local field officers in the south last weekend.
Garcia also reiterated that the incident is an obligation for him and the rest of the members of the en banc to “do what is best for justice to be served to those aggrieved.”
“Walang ama ng isang ahensya ang papayag na ginaganoon lang ang iyong mga anak… Sino pa ang magtitiwala sa Commission on Elections kung ganyan na napapabayaan din lang ang kanilang kapakanan?” he said.
[Translation: No father of an agency will allow his children to be treated like that… Who else will trust the Commission on Elections if their welfare is being neglected like that?]
Currently, no lead has been established to identify the perpetrators of the crimes against the Comelec employees.
