SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday urged the Commission on Elections, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police to ensure the full protection of teachers who will render poll duty on October 30.

“Ang ating mga guro ang nagsisilbing frontliners sa ating halalan at kasabay ng kanilang panunungkulan ang pagharap sa iba’t ibang mga panganib,” Gatchalian said.

“Bahagi ng pagpapanatili natin ng kaayusan sa darating na barangay at SK elections ang pagtiyak na bawat guro at poll watchers ay protektado mula sa ano mang banta ng panganib,” he added.

The Comelec has identified more than 300 areas as election hotspots or under the red category, which means there are occurrences of suspected election-related incidents.

The poll body also identified 1,271 areas under orange category and 1,199 under the yellow category.

Areas are placed under orange category if there are serious threats from communist terrorist groups and other groups.

Yellow areas, meanwhile, have suspected election-related violence in the last two elections, intense political rivalry, possible employment of partisan armed groups by candidates in the area, and politically motivated election-related incidents in the current election period.