The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the P2,000 additional honoraria for teachers as well as other members of the Electoral Boards (EBs) who served extended hours on election last May 9.
Comelec Commissioner George Erwin Garcia confirmed the approval of the honoraria which will be "across the board", meaning the same amount will be given to all members regardless of their post.
"Kinakailangan na sila po ay pantay-pantay na makatanggap. Hindi porke’t si ganito, si chairman ay chairman dapat mas mataas ang kaniyang matatanggap na dagdag na honorarium – hindi po (They will receive equal honoraria. Not because someone is the chairman they will also receive a higher honorarium - that's not the case)," he explained in a previous interview.
"Papantay-pantayin natin dahil pare-parehas naman po silang lahat na nag-overtime at naperhuwisyo o naistorbo dahil sa pagkasira po ng makina (We will be fair since every single one of them were inconvenienced or disturbed and went overtime due to the malfunctioning machines)," he added.
He mentioned that they aim to distribute it before May 25 and that the poll body is now in the process of identifying the precincts that encountered malfunctions with their Vote Counting Machines (VCMs).
He has also stated that they are no longer discussing what time or how long they extended as long as the machines malfunctioned in their polling precincts. These specific precincts will then be sent to the Comelec's operation center.
Regarding the amount, Garcia said that there was no approved budget for it. He added that they look to disburse the honoraria among 2,038 precincts.
On May 13, Acting Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco said that Garcia has asked the Commission En Banc to approve additional honoraria for members of EB who served for extended hours.
Garcia even issued a memorandum to urge his fellow commissioners in the Comelec to allow the granting of additional honoraria to members of EB.
In 2019, Laudiangco recalled that teachers who were affected by delays also received additional honoraria.