Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III threw his strong support behind proposals for higher compensation for teachers and poll workers and renewed his call that these election-related benefits and allowances be tax-exempt.
“Napakahalaga ng gampanin ng mga guro sa pagseseguro ng malinis maayos at matiwasay na halalan sa 2025. Sa mga ‘hot spots’ na lugar sa bansa, hindi maiwasang malagay sa panganib ang kaligtasan at buhay ng mga guro at poll workers,” Pimentel said.
“Itodo na natin ang honoraria na karapat-dapat sa mga guro at iba pang poll workers.”
“Kaya huwag na nating ipagkait pa ang kakarampot na benepisyong ito. Itodo na natin ang honoraria na karapat-dapat sa mga guro at iba pang poll workers. Their election-related benefits should be tax-exempt,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
The veteran lawmaker expressed his support for the Alliance of Concerned Teachers’ (ACT) proposal to increase the honoraria, allowances, and legal protections for teachers serving as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI).
“We need to honor the sacrifices of our teachers and other poll workers. Their work during election periods is both difficult and dangerous. It is only right that we provide them with higher and tax-exempt compensation,” the Senate President and 1990 bar topnotcher said.
The senator said Congress should revisit the proposed budget for the honoraria of teachers and poll workers in the 2025 proposed national budget.
During the 2022 national and local elections, teachers who rendered election-related services were entitled to the following honoraria: Chairperson of Electoral Board (EB) – P7,000; EB Members – P6,000; DepEd Supervisor Official (DESO) – P5,000; and Support Staff – P3,000, according to Pimentel citing COMELEC Resolution No. 10727.
He said the amounts did not do justice to the services and sacrifices made by teachers during elections.
“Sana naman itaas ito sa 2025.”
“Sana naman itaas ito sa 2025,” Pimentel stressed.
In addition to higher compensations and tax exemptions, he also urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to look at the working conditions and safety of the members of the Board of Election Inspectors during elections.
Pimentel had recently filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the first district of Marikina.
