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By William B. Depasupil, Reporter
Teachers who will do election
duty in May will get additional compensation in the form of
transportation allowance and are negotiating for other benefits
including insurance coverage and legal assistance.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec)
and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the
package of benefits for the up to 400,000 public-school teachers who
will be fielded for the midterm polls.
Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos
Sr. said Wednesday each teacher would be given a P300 transportation
allowance in addition to the law-mandated P3,000 for three days of
election service.
Abalos said Budget Secretary
Rolando Andaya Jr. was very receptive to giving the teachers the
P300 transportation allowance and a P200,000 insurance coverage.
“In all likelihood it will be
granted. The government is not unreasonable. I for one would be
pushing for the grant of this transportation allowance for them
[teachers] together with insurance coverage,” Abalos told a press
conference after a dialogue with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers
(ACT).
“Secretary Andaya was very
receptive to my call for assistance to these teachers. He
understands the teachers’ situation, he has been in politics
himself,” Abalos said. “With the assurance from Secretary Andaya,
it will not be a problem.”
Abalos said there is no budget
for teachers’ insurance this year, unlike in the 2004 and earlier
elections where each teacher were covered for P100,000.
During the meeting with ACT,
Abalos assured the teachers of the prompt and expeditious payment
for their election service.
He also agreed to provide lawyers
to teachers who may be charged with criminal or administrative cases
in the course of their election duties.
Under the agreement, half of the
compensation would be given to the teachers after receiving the
election paraphernalia and the remaining half after they have
rendered their services.
Payment would be made by the
Comelec through the municipal and city registrars. It used to be
coursed through the Department of Education.
Abalos and the ACT
representatives would be meet Thursday with Andaya to discuss the
teachers’ demands.
ACT wants each teacher to get
P2,000 for each day of election service, a hazard pay of P1,000 for
those assigned in election hot spots, a P500,000 insurance coverage
and 10-day leave credits per day of election service.
“The government must recognize
and properly compensate teachers for the difficult and sometimes
dangerous service they perform during elections by granting these
just and legitimate demands,” Benjamin Valbuena, ACT spokesman,
said.
ACT Chairman Antonio Tinio said
they want the Comelec to provide compensation of P2,000 per day for
election service; P500 for transportation expenses; P1,000 hazard
pay for teachers assigned in election hot spots; P500,000 insurance
coverage and 10-day leave credits for each day of election service.
In an interview with The Manila
Times, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said he would meet with the
teachers to discuss their demands.
Valbuena reiterated ACT’s
long-standing call to exempt teachers from voluntary election
service.
“Unfortunately, poll automation
has not made any headway under this Comelec’s watch,” he said.
--With Jonathan M. Hicap
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