Comelec set to release additional honorarium

The Commission on Elections is set to release the additional P1,000 honorarium for teachers who served during the Oct. 29 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

In a memorandum, Pio Jose Joson, executive director of Comelec central office, informed the four provincial election supervisors in Central Visayas about the release of the additional honorarium.

The amount was on top of the P1,500 intended for the honoraria of the teachers. The additional P1,000 was recently announced by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through the Department of Budget and Management for teachers who served in the last elections.

The amount covers the P1,000 honorarium and P500 transportation allowance. With the additional P1,000 honorarium, teachers would get a total of P2,500.

“In connection with the release of additional P1,000 honorarium for BETs who served in the 29 October 2007 Barangay and SK elections, the Commission shall send the same thru the ATM of each Election Officer concerned, who in turn shall, thru payrolls, release the payment of each BET member,” Joson said in his memorandum.

The election officers are also ordered to submit the same payrolls signed by members of Board of Election Tellers to whom the payment was made for liquidation purposes along with a copy of their application for Fidelity Bond.

The memorandum was addressed to lawyers Veronico Petalcorin, provincial election officer of Bohol; Lionel Marco Castillano, provincial election officer of Cebu; Eddie Aba, provincial election supervisor of Oriental Negros; and Leandro Magusara, provincial legal officer of Siquijor.

Joson also urged to monitor the payments of honorarium to BET members and report to his office failure to implement such distribution.

Comelec Cebu officer-in-charge Boy Gonnie Neis said the honorarium was already released last Thursday afternoon. Neis said the budget is now under the ATM account of the election officers of the provinces.

But Neis said election officers are still in the process of preparing their payroll before the amount can be released.

The election workers have earlier demanded a P2,000 honorarium but the DBM only approved P1,000.

But due to the nationwide clamor for an additional honorarium, President Arroyo ordered the DBM to release the additional P1,000 last week.

Thousands of teachers nationwide have threatened to withdraw from their election duties after learning that Comelec has substantially reduced their honorarium and benefits during the last elections.

More than half-million teachers have manned polling precincts nationwide during the elections. – Gerome M. Dalipe and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/LPM