A teacher-solon is up in arms over President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos's veto on the proposed measure granting tax exemption on the honoraria, allowances, and other financial benefits given to election workers.
"The veto of this measure is a slap in the face of every teacher across the country who served the past elections dutifully despite long hours and higher risks of getting Covid-19," said ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, a member of the militant Makabayan bloc.
"With the additional risks and longer hours of poll service that they had to endure, removing the 20 percent tax on their honoraria and allowances is only just," she said.
Marcos won a historic majority mandate during the May 2022 polls. He garnered an astounding 31 million votes, more than twice that of opposition leader and then-Vice President Leni Robredo.
In the Philippines, public school teachers render election-related duties.
"Imposing taxes on the honoraria and allowances of election service volunteers destroys the spirit and intent of the Election Service Reform Act or Republic Act 10756 to compensate the hardships of persons rendering election service. They must therefore enjoy the compensation in full and not bear additional burdens," Castro, a deputy minority leader, added.
"Add to this the fact that no tax was ever imposed on the honoraria and other election service benefits until 2018, since there is no law providing for such imposition," she further said.