Comelec to appoint electoral board members

MANILA, Philippines — Members of electoral boards or EBs for clustered precincts throughout the country will be appointed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from Jan. 17 to 31, 2022 to prepare them for poll duty in next year’s national and local elections.

The schedule was contained in the 53-page Comelec Resolution No. 10727 promulgated on Nov. 10 and which includes the general instructions for the composition, appointment, qualifications and compensation of electoral boards.

The resolution states that an EB would be composed of a chairperson, a poll clerk and a third member. One EB would be assigned for every clustered precinct.

The Comelec said women EB members may not be assigned to areas with security concerns, far-flung barangays, or areas that are likely to cause gender-based violence or result in physical, sexual or psychological harm.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Comelec would prefer to appoint those who are fully vaccinated, without comorbidities and below 60 years old as members of the EB.

An EB member is also required to be a registered voter in the city or municipality; has good moral character; of known integrity and competence; has no known election-related conviction or any crime punishable with six months imprisonment, and could speak and write Filipino, English or the local dialect.

The public school teachers and others on poll duty in the May 9, 2022 elections would also be receiving honoraria and other benefits.

The EB chairperson would receive P7,000; the EB members P6,000; the Department of Education and Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) supervisor official (DESO) P5,000; support staff P3,000, and medical personnel P3,000.

Considering that the elections would be done during a pandemic, the Comelec said members of the EB, DESO and their respective support staff, medical personnel and the Emergency Accessible Polling Place (EAPP) support staff shall be entitled to an anti-COVID-19 allowance of P500.

In the resolution, the poll body said the EB chairperson and members, the DESO and their respective support staff would get P2,000 each as travel allowance, P1,000 for final testing and sealing, and P1,000 for election day.

The EAPP and Isolation Polling Precinct support staff would get P1,000 for election day.