THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers held physical and online protests to denounce the imposition of a 20-percent tax on teachers’ travel allowance.

Reports from the group’s regional unions indicated that the P2,000 travel allowance was subjected to 20 percent tax or a P400 deduction.

“Hindi na nga sinagot ang daing namin, basta-basta pang tinaasan ang buwis sa amin! Bakit ba laging kursunada ninyo ang napakaliit na natatanggap namin? Bugbog na nga kami sa krisis, kami pa rin ang bubuwisan. Samantalang puro tax holiday at exemption ang malalaking korporasyon,” ACT NCR Union President Vladimer Quetua said.

The group’s NCR chapter held a picket protest at the Commission on Election’s main office on Thursday, while teachers in other regions participated in a virtual protest on Facebook.

They reiterated their demand to tax-exempt teachers’ election service honoraria and allowances.

“This government is squeezing us dry. First, they refused to remunerate teacher-poll workers fair pay for their indispensable role every election. Now, they’re increasing tax impositions on what little compensation we are getting. And for what?! It’s not like these taxes go to social services like health and education,” Quetua said.

The group also cited several concerns gathered from the ground such as the demotion of teachers from chairpersons of the Electoral Board to third members, which also means a lower honorarium, on the basis of a positive Covid19 test result.

ACT urged the Commission on Elections to act on these concerns.

“Demoting electoral board chairpersons because of a positive antigen test result during BEIs’ training period is discriminatory, inhumane, and lacks any logic. First, it only takes about two weeks for a Covid19 patient to stop being contagious, leaving them plenty of time before the May 9 elections to regain eligibility to serve; so what Comelec has to do is ensure support for them to recover quickly and be well enough to participate in election service. Likewise, Comelec must prepare special training sessions for them. Second, any one of the BEIs can test positive on election day or be unable to render services for whatever reason, which means Comelec must train all three teacher-members of the Electoral Board for the roles of the Chairperson, poll clerk, and third person, including the substitutes to prepare for such scenario. Comelec should be providing support and protection to all its election frontliners, not punishing them for getting infected with Covid19,” Quetua said.

Other issues raised during the protest are the discrimination against ACT members who wish to serve in the May 2022 polls, the P200-million increase in Comelec’s budget which the commission earlier promised to be allotted to poll work pay raises, and the provision of medical and legal services to poll workers.

“Dalawang buwan na lamang at eleksiyon na, kailan pa planong harapin ng Comelec ang mga guro? Ang mga hinaing namin ay singhalaga ng alinmang mga pinagkakaabalahan ng Comelec ngayon dahil tiyak na malaki ang magiging epekto sa eleksyon kung ang mga gurong magbabantay sa halalan ay maysakit, walang sapat na pamasahe para pumunta sa polling place o magugutom sa pagbabantay sa halalan. Comelec, pakinggan naman ninyo ang mga guro!” Quetua said.