THE BANGSAMORO  Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education and the Commission on Elections inked a memorandum of agreement to protect teachers who will serve in the 2022 elections.

The ministry said that the move is part of preparations in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to ensure that teachers and non-teaching personnel will remain safe and non-partisan.

Under the agreement, teachers will be trained to spot forms of abuses and how to counter them.

“I want the best protection for the teachers who will serve as members of the Electoral Boards, MBHTE Supervising Officer and Support Staff. With this partnership, we will be capacitating them with the right knowledge in order to deter or counter abuses and any form of security threats that may occur before, during of after the 2022 National and Local Elections,” MBHTE Minister Mohagher Iqbal said on Facebook.

MBHTE will shoulder the training cost of the participants, while the Comelec will pay for the honoraria, allowances, additional benefits, and legal indemnification package – if needed.

The ministry will issue a list of teachers who are under 60 years of age and do not have comorbidities who will participate in the elections.