Comelec spox: Teachers who worked overtime on Eleksyon 2022 will be given ‘additional honoraria’

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday assured teachers who worked overtime during the recent national and local elections will be given “additional honoraria.”

At a press briefing, Comelec acting spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said this will not be the first time that the teachers and electoral boards will be given additional honoraria, citing that it was also done in the previous 2019 elections.

“Sa ating mga bayaning guro at mga electoral boards, huwag kayong mag-alala. Hindi po ito first time na nagbigay ang Comelec ng additional honoraria, it’s not necessarily overtime pay but additional honoraria,” Laudiangco said at the press briefing.

(We assure our teachers and electoral boards not to worry because this is not the first time that the Comelec gave additional honoraria. It is not necessarily overtime pay but additional honoraria.)

“Ginawa na po natin ito noong 2019 para doon sa mga electoral boards na talaga pong nagsilbi ng higit sa oras para matapos. Sa atin pong electoral boards huwag po kayo mag-alala, ip-proseso po ito ng Comelec gaya din noong ginawa natin noong 2019,” he added.

(This was also done last 2019 for the electoral boards who worked overtime. For our electoral boards, do not be afraid because we will process it like what the poll body done in 2019.)

Laudiangco said this will be given within 15 days from the day of elections in accordance with the Electoral Service Reform Act.

“Pero makakaasa po ang ating electoral boards, ayon po kasi sa Electoral Service Reform Act dapat ang honoraria maibigay namin within 15 days from the day of elections,” Laudiangco said.

(We assure our electoral boards that this will be given within the 15 days from the day of elections in accordance from the Electoral Service Reform Act.)

“Sisiguraduhin ng Comelec na mabibigay ito sa kanila within the timeframe allowed by law. Absolute po yan. Wala pong excuses at gagawin po namin ‘yan,” he added.

(The Comelec assured that this will be given within the timeframe allowed by the law. No excuses, we will do that.)

Over 640,000 personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) served as poll workers on Eleksyon 2022.

Election Task Force (ETF) Head Atty. Marcelo Bragado, Jr. said at least 647,812 DepEd personnel served as poll workers—319,317 as members of the Electoral Boards (EB), and 200,627 as EB support staff.

Bragado said that 38,989 are DepEd Supervisor Official (DESO), while 87,162 are DESO support staff, and 1,717 are DepEd members of the Board of Canvassers.

Several teachers earlier appealed to the poll body for the removal of 20% tax on their election service honorariums for Eleksyon 2022.

The group said they have written twice to the poll body but it has yet to respond to their appeal.

Poll Commissioner George Garcia said he supported the teachers, but it would be up to Congress and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to decide on the issue. — RSJ, GMA News