After going missing since june 16 Comelec orders poll officer to explain unpaid honoraria

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The election officer of Hinobaan town was ordered by the Comelec-Negros Occidental to explain within 72 hours (or three days), starting Tuesday, why the honoraria of poll workers remained unpaid, two months after the election.

Provincial election supervisor Jessie Suarez yesterday said election officer Alan Jaro, who went “missing” since June 16, showed up to him in his house last Monday night. “The failure of Jaro to explain and reconcile his records on the teachers' honoraria would be dealt with accordingly,” he said.

The amount still unpaid to the poll workers, most of whom are public school teachers, is P228,000, said Suarez, and this money was already released to Jaro through the latter's bank account.

Suarez said Jaro should release the money intended for 162 poll workers or he will face charges. This case is now with the Legal Department of the Comelec, he said.

Last Friday, DepEd district supervisor Elizalde Reliquias wrote Suarez about the matter. On the same day, Suarez told the media that some heads of the board of election inspectors (BEIs), support staff, DepEd supervisors and their staff, who worked in the May 13 elections in Hinobaan, have not been paid of their honorarium.

The poll honoraria are supposed to be released through the ATM cards of the teachers or through their cash cards and, for those without cards, these are released through the respective election officers of the towns and cities.

Suarez said Jaro's reason for his one-month absence was that he needed to attend to his sick parent in Manila. He however did not say anything about the honoraria, prompting Suarez to order him to submit a written explanation about it.

Suarez assured the poll workers that they will be paid, even if an anomaly was committed on the part of Jaro. He clarified though that he will not make any conclusive statement yet, but if Jaro is proven guilty, then Suarez stressed he does not want to make any conclusive assumption, but if proven guilty, Jaro could be dismissed from service.  (FREEMAN)