Comelec urges teachers who rendered election duties to claim their cash card

AT least 2,000 of the 40,000 teachers in Central Visayas who served during the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections have not yet claimed their cash cards from their respective Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices.

Comelec-7 Director Veronico Petalcorin said that the teachers need to claim their cash cards as soon as possible so that their office can also wrap up their reports.

Petalcorin admitted that they were not able to release all the cash cards when the teachers turned over the election returns on May 15 or a day
after the twin polls.

He said that the inconsistent changes in the requirements and the supposed deduction of the teachers’ honoraria due to the provisions of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law are the main reasons why the teachers were not able to get the cash cards on time.

The teachers’ honoraria were supposed to be taxed but since some of them are enjoying tax exemption under the Train law, they need to have the full amount.

“Among gikaltasan (for taxes), pero ingon sila (teachers) nga nganong gikaltasan sila so ingon ang Comelec Head Office nga okay atong i-uli pero kinahanglan nga mo-execute sila’g sworn statement (of tax exemption),” said Petalcorin.

The sworn statement, according to Petalcorin, will also need to be forwarded to their head office.

Petalcorin said that the teachers who were not covered by the tax exemption and those who waived their tax exemption were able to immediately get the cash cards.

Another cause for delay, Petalcorin said, was that most teachers are now out of town because there are no more classes while there also those who are serving as coaches for the athletes in the ongoing Philippine National Games.

Teachers who served as Chairpersons of the Electoral Board are to receive P6,000 while the EB members are given P5,000.

Department of Education Supervisor Officials are also given P4,000 while the support staff are to receive P2,000 each.