THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers called on the Senate to pass the bills seeking to exempt from tax the honoraria of poll workers.

The group said that it will hold an online protest to prod senators to take action and heed their call. Teachers intend to comment on the livestreamed plenary session today to demand #TaxFreePollWorkPay.

Three bills filed by Senators Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian and Leila De Lima are pending in the chamber. The House of Representatives approved its version of the measure in 2021.

“Congress session will end next week. We urge our senators to prioritize the measure to tax-exempt poll workers’ pay. Let our teacher-poll workers receive in full the already low compensation the state grants them despite the enormous duties and responsibilities assigned to them every election. There are other more productive sources of tax revenues, let it not be our election frontliners,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

Poll workers’ pay had been taxed since 2018.

ACT said that poll workers should receive their election pay in full considering the importance of their work and the risks they face.

“Sa puntong ito, Senado na lang ang hinihintay sa aming makatuwirang kahilingan. Nararapat na ipasa ang batas na ito sa lalong madaling panahon. Maliit na hakbang lang ang hinihingi mula sa ating mga senador habang malaki ang nakataya para sa mga gurong magsisilbi sa eleksiyon,” Basilio said.