THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers lambasted the Commission on Elections for its alleged deceptive claim that the compensation of members of electoral boards and other poll workers for the 2022 elections will be increased by P3,000 when its guidelines show that they will get zero to P500 pay hike.

ACT explained that while the honorarium and travel allowance of the electoral board chairpersons and members will be raised by P1,000 respectively, the Comelec scrapped the P2,000 travel allowance received by the electoral boards in the past elections.

The group also questioned why electoral board chairpersons were not included in the grant of anti-Covid allowance when they head the voting process in the precinct level and face equally high risks in performing election duties amid the pandemic.

The electoral boards facilitate the voting in each polling precinct. Each board has three members, majority of whom are public school teachers.

“Harap-harapang niloloko ang ating mga guro dito sa iskemang bigay-bawi ng Comelec, at malinaw na pang-aabuso ito sa poll workers na hindi bibigyan ng karampatang dagdag na kompensasyon sa kabila ng mas pinahabang oras ng botohan at mas matinding mga panganib na susuungin nila dahil sa pandemya,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said in a statement.

Basilio shared that ACT submitted to the  Comelec its proposal to increase election service honorarium by P4,000, and travel allowance to P3,000 for those serving in the city proper and P5,000 to those assigned in rural areas.

The group also requested for the grant of P2,500 food allowance for poll workers.

“Luging-lugi na ang mga guro sa pagod, puyat, gastos, at panganib na kanilang dinadanas sa pagbabantay sa halalan. Ang masaklap pa, kakaltasan pa ng buwis ang kulang na kulang na ngang kompensasyon sa eleksyon,” Basilio said.

He called on the Senate to increase the funding for election service compensation for the 2022 elections as the chamber deliberates on the 2022 budget.