By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

DESPITE issues raised during and after the election last month, the incumbent officers of the Association of Commonwealth Teachers have decided to go ahead with the counting of ballots so they can certify the winners as soon as possible.
Jaime Vergara, the association’s vice president and a teacher from San Vicente Elementary School, said this decision was reached after a meeting last month.
“Although I was not at that meeting, I was told that they decided to push through with the counting of ballots so that a new set of officers would be named soon,” he said in a telephone interview.
ACT held an election in February after some of its members complained that they were not represented during the election in July which chose James Yangetmai as president.
After the Feb. 27-28 election, the ACT election committee was criticized for the process it adopted, as well as for supposed violations of its bylaws and rules such as the absence of a one-month campaign period for candidates and the different design of the ballots.
The committee, moreover, did not disclose the names of candidates until the day of the election.
“If there is to be another election, the new set of officers will have to call for it,” Vergara said, adding that at present the association’s officers want the results to be out and the winners certified.
He said there were no violations of the bylaws and rules during the election.