Poll workers entitled to P50,000 legal aid package

People who render election-related duties and end up getting slapped with lawsuits will now get legal assistance from the government, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The election body would provide poll workers a legal indemnification package worth P50,000, a provision in Comelec resolution No. 10194 said.

The resolution, or the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act, also increases the honoraria of public school teachers and others such as inspectors, tellers, supervisors and staff.

“The amount of P50,000 as legal indemnification package shall be made available to each claimant,” the resolution read.

Teachers and other civil servants are often tasked to render duties as members of the board of election inspectors.

The Comelec said the legal indemnification package covers legal assistance, lawyer’s fees, indemnification for legal costs and expenses reasonably incurred, and other forms of legal protection.

Covered by the increases in honoraria are chairs and members of electoral boards (EBs), Department of Education supervisor officials and their support staff.

Under the resolution, the EB chairs will be entitled to P6,000 honoraria, from the previous P4,000, while the EB members will get P5,000 from P4,000 in the previous elections.

The resolution also increases the honoraria of supervisor officials to P3,000 from P2,000, and those of the support staff to P2,000 from 1,500. —With a report from Jerome Aning