Teachers seek poll pay hike

MANILA, Philippines - Public school teachers serving in the board of election inspectors (BEI) on May 13 want their allowance increased from the current P4,000 to P6,000.

BEI members belonging to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) made the request in a dialogue with officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday.

ACT Rep. Antonio Tinio said the allowance of BEI members has remained at P4,000 despite their increased duties and the risk in guarding the integrity of the ballot.

Glitches in the use of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines highlight the importance of the election duties of teachers, he added.

Tinio said the Comelec could use its savings in granting the teachers’ request for additional allowance.

“Obviously, they need BEI members to man the precincts,” he said.

Without the participation of public school teachers, the Comelec would have a hard time carrying out the balloting despite thousands of PCOS machines, he added.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes had promised teachers in April last year that he would look into the possibility of giving them an additional allowance and to release the money for their election duty promptly, Tinio said.