• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to pay the honorariums of public school teachers who served during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 30 in nine local government units (LGUs) of Negros Occidental.
Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said the delay is caused by the lack of security bond of some election officers, or their unliquidated cash advances.
Comelec records showed it has not yet paid the honorariums of teachers in the cities of Bacolod, Victorias, Himamaylan as well as the municipalities of Valladolid, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Cauayan, Hinobaan, and Ilog.
Ananoria said the funds for the 10 LGUs were coursed through the Comelec regional office while the teachers in the rest of the 22 LGUs have already been paid since Oct. 31 or a day after the polls.
“As we speak, it is now being downloaded to their accounts. We expect by Wednesday or Thursday this week, all the teachers will be all paid,” Ananoria said.
Under the Election Reform Act, the Comelec has 15 days to pay the honorarium of teachers, after the election.
Ananoria said that failure to release the honorarium within 15 days is deemed an election offense.
Poll workers’ allowances and benefits have increased this year.
The chairman of the Electoral Board now has a salary of P10,000 from P6,000 while the members’ pay increased from P5,000 to P9,000.
The Department of Education supervisor officials (DESO) assigned to polling centers would get P9,000 each for poll duty while the support staff will receive P5,500 each. | GB
