Teachers hit Comelec over election duty pay issues

Teachers prepare the election paraphernalia they received from the Cebu City treasurer’s office and the classroom to be used as a voting precinct for the 2019 midterm elections. (File photo by JUNJIE MENDOZA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The largest union of teachers in the country asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) how it plans to compensate teachers who will serve as board of election inspectors (BEI) in the May 9 elections.

This developed after the Comelec told the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines (ACT) in a letter dated March 18, 2022, that the agency “cannot grant overtime pay to those who are not Comelec employees.”

According to ACT, teachers typically serve a total of 24 hours on election day, which is equivalent to three eight-hour workdays. If there are problems, some teachers who serve in BEI would need to render work for two to three more days.

“This was among the major issues in the 2019 mid-term elections, and we still haven’t been properly compensated for our teachers’ extended hours of service. If Comelec cannot pay for this, then who will? It can’t be another case of ‘TY’ (thank you), rendered services must be compensated. That’s a basic labor right,” Raymond Basilio, secretary-general of ACT, said in a statement on Saturday.

The group expressed dissatisfaction over the Comelec’s response, which they said failed to address their valid concern, and instead “merely showed an attempt to dodge responsibility.”

ACT wrote another letter to the Comelec on Thursday to again insist on a dialogue on April 6. Should they finally be granted their long-called for dialogue, the group said they expected “a clear answer” on how teachers would be granted overtime compensation.

“We fully expect Comelec to have worked something out with [the Department of Education] or whichever relevant agency to guarantee that our teacher-poll workers will be paid their dues,” Basilio said.

According to him, some of their member teachers were already “demoralized” due to the tax hike on their honoraria and allowances as BEI members.

ACT protested in March the 5 percent tax on BEI honoraria and allowances, and the 20 percent tax on their travel allowance.

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