Comelec OKs proposal to expand service credits for poll workers to 10 days

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has approved the increasing of service credits of government personnel rendering services for Eleksyon 2025 from five days to 10 days.

In a resolution shared with the media Tuesday, the poll body adopted the proposal of its Law Department to expand the service credits of teachers and civil service workers who will act as members of the Electoral Board (EB), Department of Education Supervisor Official (DESO), and support staff for the upcoming midterm elections.

The Comelec said Republic Act No. 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act (ESRA) Law allows the granting of additional service credits.

However, the Law Department said the extra credits should be in line with the guidelines on leave privileges as it recommended a meeting with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to discuss the computation and application of service credits for election services; the inclusion of all eligible government officials and employees, regardless of their specific roles, in the grant of service credits; and the consideration of the non-commutative and non-cumulative nature of the service credit under the ESRA.

“The Commission, after due deliberation, resolved, as it hereby resolves to adopt the herein recommendations of the Law Department on the proposal to amend Section 16 of Comelec Resolution No. 10194 and to increase the service credit of government officials and employees rendering election service under Republic Act No. 10756,” the resolution reads.

Latest data from the Comelec showed it is set to train more than 186,000 teachers to serve as EB members for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE). At least 7,000 police personnel will likewise be trained to substitute for the teachers.

The training is slated from March 3 to March 31, 2025. — Sundy Locus/RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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