At A Glance
- Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III has expressed his strong support to the calls to increase compensation for teachers and poll workers.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has expressed his strong support to the calls to increase compensation for teachers and poll workers.
In relation to this, he renewed his call that these election-related benefits and allowances be made 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 (The role of teachers is crucial in ensuring a clean, orderly, and peaceful election in 2025. In the 'hot spots' areas of the country, the safety and lives of teachers and poll workers are inevitably put at risk),” Pimentel said on Saturday, Oct. 12.
“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 (Let's not deny them these modest benefits any longer. Instead, let's give teachers and other poll workers the honorarium they truly deserve). Their election-related benefits should be tax-exempt,” Pimentel stressed.
Pimentel 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,” Pimentel, a former Senate President and 1990 bar topnotcher, said.
Pimentel said Congress should revisit the proposed budget for the honoraria of teachers and poll workers in the 2025 proposed national budget.
According to the senator, during the 2022 national and local elections, teachers who rendered election-related services were entitled to the following honoraria: Chairperson of Electoral Board (EB) – P7,000.00; EB Members – P6,000.00; DepEd Supervisor Official (DESO) – P5,000.00; and Support Staff – P3,000.00.
Pimentel cited Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 10727 for the figures.
Pimentel said the amounts did not do justice to the services and sacrifices made by teachers during elections.
“Sana naman itaas ito sa 2025 (This should be increased in 2025),” he said.
In addition to higher compensations and tax exemptions, Pimentel also urged the 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 congressman in the first district of Marikina City