Teachers lament difficulties in getting digital signatures for Eleksyon 2022

Several teachers in Quezon City lamented difficulties in getting their digital signatures ahead of Eleksyon 2022.

According to Chino Gaston’s “24 Oras” report on Thursday, some teachers waited in line for almost eight hours to get their digital signatures at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) office in Quezon City.

The teachers needed the digital signatures for the vote counting machines (VCM) in May 9 elections.

The digital signature is the code contained in the "I buttons" used by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) to access the VCMs and place their digital signatures on the transmitted certificates of canvass and statements of votes.

“Mas lalong humaba at ginawang komplikado yung proseso may verification sa loob, pupunta pa kaming Comelec. Gagawin namin buong maghapon para sa 20 minutes naming gagawin na signature na manual sa elections,” teacher Jovic Tagamandaue of Quezon City District 4 said.

(The process with verification is even more complicated, then we need to go to the Comelec. We will do it all day, while it only took 20 minutes for us to put the signature on elections.)

“Nabanggit naman kaya lang ngayon lang talaga parang inimpose na kailangan magpunta rito para sa registration. Mainit, antagal kasi yung mga pumapasok sa loob inaabot ng two hours,” teacher Miram Icoy of QC District 4.

(It was mentioned to us only now that it seems it has been imposed that you have to go here for registration. Those who came inside took two hours.)

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) expressed concern for teachers because poll watchers and political parties might be angry with them if they did not get digital signatures.

“Nanawagan kami sa Commission on Elections (Comelec) at DICT: silipin ninyo ang kalagayan sa Comelec office diyan sa may SM North...Talagang kalunos-lunos ang mga pinapagawa sa mga teachers, pinapapila sa hagdan, wala man lang patubig at pakain,” Kristhean Navales, president of Quezon City Public School Teachers Association, said.

(We called on the Commission on Elections and the DICT to take a look at the situation at the Comelec office in SM North. The teachers were being forced to line up on the stairs, without even food and drink.)

According to the Comelec, they sent an application almost three months ago for the digital signatures of more than 300,000 teachers through their emails. The teachers only need to download the signature on their I button to use it in the VCMs.

“Actually meron na sila, nakatanggap na sila sa kanilang email. Hindi lang nila alam kung paano magdownload so hindi po naguluhan dahil hindi po nakapagbigay agad ang DICT, very efficient naman ang DICT nagbigay kaagad ng resulta, yun lang po issue non,” Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said.

(Actually, they already have received their email. They just do not know how to download it, so that was the cause of confusion not because the DICT did not give it right away. They are very efficient in giving the result right away, that is the only issue.)

The DICT said more than 300,000 teachers will serve as BEIs in the country, while only 800 teachers in QC experienced this incident.

The DICT said that it will help teachers to download their digital signatures and provide those who need assistance.

It will remain open on Saturday and Sunday to help those who cannot get a digital signature before the election day. — Richa Noriega/BM, GMA News