Comelec: No hike in teachers' honoraria for 2023 barangay, SK polls

BONGAO, Tawi-tawi - There will be no increase in the honoraria for the teachers who will work as electoral board members during the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said Saturday.

Garcia explained that the poll body was not granted an additional budget for an increase in teachers' honoraria in light of its non-exemption from taxes.

"Sana po kasi ay aming dadagdagan, ipapakiusap na dadagdagan po ang makukha na honoraria ng ating mga guro subalit dahil nga po sa kakulangan ng budget ay minarapat po natin na i-fix na lang po ang kanilang matatanggap," Garcia told reporters in an interview.

According to the Comelec chairman, Electoral Board chairmen will receive P6,000; P5,000 for the Electoral Board members; and P4,000 for precinct workers.

In 2022, the Comelec was given P8.4 billion for the postponed December 2022 polls.

Since it was rescheduled to 2023, the Comelec asked Congress for an additional budget of P10 billion, on top of the P8.4 billion, for the BSKE. 

However, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said Congress only allocated P2.7 billion under this year's national budget.

"As far as the P8.441 billion [budget in 2022], 'yun po ay sapat lamang para doon sa original honoraria ng ating mga guro," Garcia said.

"Ang Comelec ay humahanap ng pamamaraan upang mas makatulong naman tayo sa kanila pong kalagayan dahil po ang pagsisilbi nila mula umaga hanggang gabi e. Ang pagbibilang po natin hindi naman po tayo automated election, manual po tayo kaya po mano-manong bibilangin ang mga balota," he added.

Garcia said they might need another P2.7 to P3 billion for 2023 if the Comelec will register over one million new voters for the 2023 BSKE.

As of January 13, the Comelec had registered 1.024 million new voters.

"Siguro aabutin po tayo ng hanggang 1.5 [million new voters], which is yun po ang aming projection. So 'yun po kakailanganin naman namin ng mga hanggang tatlong bilyong piso na lamang po upang maisagawa ang Barangay and SK election," he said.

"'Yung isang milyong mahigit o 1.5 million na botante ay may karampatang pagdadagdag din po sa presinto at pag nagdagdag po tayo ng presinto, magdadagdag din po tayo ng electoral board members at syempre yung karagdagang 1.5 million na voters ay karagdagang pag-iimprenta ng balota and therefore, gagastusan din po namin yung pagiimprenta ng balota," he added.

Garcia said the commission would shoulder other operational expenses.

"Hindi na po namin 'yon (other expenses) hihingin. Hindi na po baleng medyo kami ay maghihgpit na lang sinturon para don pero ang importante po ay mai-hold natin ang eleksyon nang maayos," he said.

Printing, registration

Meanwhile, Garcia was confident that the 2023 BSKE would push through in October, reiterating that the poll body was looking to complete ballot printing by February.

"Ako po, siguradong sigurado ako, base sa aking assessment ng sitwasyon, at ang kumisyon din po, ang en banc, ay sigurado na matutuloy na po tayo sa October 2023 na Barangay and SK elections," he said.

"In fact po, kami po ay nasa [kalagitnaan] na ng pagpi-print ng mga balota na gagamitin po natin sa barangay and SK election. Nangangahulugan po, base po sa pagtataya ng Comelec, matutuloy po tayo sa barangay and SK [election] ng October dahil napakaaga po kung matatapos po kami ng printing ng February, sobrang aga po non--pinakamaaga actually sa kasaysayan ng pagpiprint ng mga balota natin pero maganda po yon para at least handa na kami," he added.

Garcia along with Comelec Commissioner Nelson Java Celis and several other officials visited Tawi-Tawi on Saturday to check the status of voter registration and the welfare of the local Comelec office in the province.

"Gusto rin po nating patunayan sa lahat na pepwede naman pong katulad po namin, pwedeng pumunta sa pinakamalalayong lugar, pwedeng sumadya at magbigay ng oras bakit naman po kayo na nandyan lang sa mga bahay at malapit lamang ang aming Comelec offices at yung registration area namin, hindi kayo makapagparehistro. Di po ba? So wala po ito sa layo, ito po ay nasa determinasyon natin na iexercise naman ang ating obligasyon na magparehistro bilang isang botante," he said.

Garcia lamented that voter registration was lukewarm in cities where more Comelec registration sites were available.

"Nakakalungkot minsan na kung nasaan pa ang siyudad, nasaan pa yung mga areas or cities na napakadaming mamamayan, doon mababa ang registration," he said.

Tawi-tawi had more than 200,000 registered voters, according to Provincial Election Supervisor Alnie Burahim.

Burahim said they are expecting 5,000 to 10,000 new registrants by the end of the registration period on January 31. — DVM, GMA Integrated News