By Benjo Basas, Teachers’ Dignity Coalition national chairman
We acknowledge the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) efforts to provide early payment for teachers who participated as poll workers in the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections 2023.
According to the Comelec report and information given to the Department of Education, all employees who served as members of the Electoral Board and Department of Education Supervising Officials were already paid as of Monday, Nov. 13. This is consistent with our own monitoring that almost all payments were made within the first two weeks after the election, in accordance with the Election Service Reform Act provision that the process should not take more than 15 days.
However, we are again requesting that the Comelec consider giving additional payment for those who worked overtime. Furthermore, we are asking Congress and Malacañang to reconsider the tax exemption for election duty honoraria.