FILE PHOTO: Comelec chair George Garcia. INQUIRER/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said it will increase the allowance of teachers serving as electoral boards in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
According to Comelec chair George Garcia, electoral board members in the BSKE this year will receive P10,000, P9,000, and P8,000 – higher than the P6,000, P5,000, and P4,000 under the existing policy.
“Dapat ang honoraria po kasi ng ating mga electoral board members for the barangay and SK ay talagang P6,000, P5,000, and P4,000 lang. Ganoon po kaliit sapagkat ‘yon po ang nakalagay sa patakaran,” Garcia said in a press conference.
(The honoraria of our electoral board members for the barangay and SK should only be P6,000, P5,000, and P4,000. It’s that small because that’s what’s written in the policy.)
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“Subalit gagawan po ng paraan Commission on Elections, gagawin po namin base sa aming savings o kung ano mang matitira sa’min, gagawing P10,000, P9,000, P8,000. Ipaparehas na natin sa natatanggap ng mga guro sa automated elections,” he added.
(But the Commission on Elections will find a way, we will do it based on our savings or whatever we have left, make it P10,000, P9,000, P8,000. We will match what teachers receive in automated elections.)
Garcia also said that the Comelec is currently studying Vice President Sara Duterte’s suggestion to give the allowance of teachers with poll duties in advance.
“Pinag-aaralan na po ng Executive Director natin at Executive Director of Operations, kaya lang po meron tayong masamang karanasan diyan, ginawa na po noong 2004 ng Comelec – ‘yung magbigay ng advance,” said Garcia.
(Our Executive Director and Executive Director of Operations are already studying it, however, we already had a bad experience with that, the Comelec did that in 2004 – to give an advance.)
“May mga ilan na hindi na nag-report either tinakot, natakot, whatever reason hindi nag-report,” he added.
(There are some who did not report anymore either they were intimidated, scared, whatever reason they did not report.)
But Garcia gave assurance that the Comelec will increase the prevailing allowance across the board by P2,000 if election for the delegation of the constitutional convention to amend the 1987 Constitution pushes through.
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