Teachers, who are members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), on Wednesday, April 6, flocked to the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila to press the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a dialogue in order to address their issues and concerns as Board of Election Inspectors (BEls).
On March 31, ACT asked the Comelec to meet the teachers and hear them out on April 6. The group said teachers who will serve as BEIs in the polls have reached out to them and told them their issues and concerns.
ACT Secretary-General Raymond Basilio said over 300,000 teachers will be sent to polling precincts to ensure the proper conduct of the May 2022 polls.
“Many of their concerns remain unaddressed, which is akin to sending our teachers to the battlefield without armaments. Our BEls deserve better, and we're here to demand it from Comelec," he said in a statement.
The group noted that teachers serving as electoral board members will be at the frontlines of the elections.
“The clamor for BEIs to get their full honoraria and allowances remains loud and strong, ACT has been pushing for the scrapping of the tax-imposition-recently hiked from 5 percent to 20 percent-on election service pay and for the same to be released via cash or through teacher-poll workers existing payroll as government employees,” the group said.
As such, ACT has sought the poll body's plan on overtime pay for teachers who will render extended election service hours.
The other demands of teachers include medical measures to prevent infection as well as treat those that may be infected with Covid-19 and legal support at the precinct level.