Only 66,000 teachers still unpaid

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday clarified that around 66,000, and not 100,000, teachers who served as Board of Election Inspector (BEI) members and support staff during the recently concluded elections have yet to receive their honoraria.

Comelec Chair Andres Bautista told a press briefing that they have already paid about 410,000 of the 476,000 teachers who served in the elections.

“About 86 percent have been paid. So some 14 percent remains to be unpaid,” he said.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)-Philippines earlier claimed that some 100,000 BEIs have remained unpaid by the Comelec.

According to Bautista, of the P1.745 billion they have allocated and deposited to the Land Bank of the Philippines, some P1.5 billion have already been encashed.

“The only remaining amount is about P245 million, which constitutes the 14 percent,” said the poll chief.

“These debit cards have to be distributed to the BEIs concerned. And that is being done by our field officials, specifically our election officers. Sometimes, the distance is far away and it takes a bit of time before the distribution is made,” he said, explaining why there remain teachers who have yet to claim their payments.

“There’s also the possibility that the BEI has already received the debit cards but has not yet encashed it with the bank. Again, mainly because of geographical issues,” added Bautista.

For the May 2016 polls, the chairperson and members of the BEIs as well as support staff members were entitled to receive a per diem of P1,000 for three days; P500 each for the verification and sealing of the Book of Voters, for the final testing and sealing of the vote counting machines, and for transportation allowance; and P2,000 for undergoing training or a total  of P6,500.

Bautista said he was confident they could already complete the payment to all BEI members and support staff by next week.