The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has yet to tackle the appeal for additional payment for teachers who served overtime during the conduct of the May 13 mid-term polls.

“Again, like all petitions that have to be discussed by the en banc, so I can’t give you any answer,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in an interview Saturday.

Jimenez was reacting to the appeal of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), an organization of teachers, academic non-teaching personnel, and non-academic non-teaching personnel, for additional compensation for teachers who served as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) beyond the voting period last Monday.

In a statement, Raymond Basilio, ACT secretary-general, urged concerned agencies to provide BEIs with additional compensation for working overtime.

“We call on the concerned agencies to give justice to the immeasurable sacrifice of teacher-poll workers. At the minimum, they shall ensure that all those who rendered extended poll service due to Comelec’s inefficiency be properly compensated and provided additional service credit. They have been denied their much-needed and deserved rest. Maawa naman kayo sa mga guro (Have mercy on teachers),” he said.

He noted some 10,000 teachers have rendered nearly 60 hours straight of election service, pending the transmission of results from the vote-counting machines (VCMs) on election day.

The COMELEC – Employees’ Union expressed support for the teachers’ request.

Under the Election Service Reform Act (ESRA), poll workers are entitled to the corresponding honoraria: chairperson of the electoral boards, PHP6,000; members of electoral boards, PHP5,000; Department of Education Supervisor Official, PHP4,000; and support staff, PHP2,000.

More than 250,000 teachers served as BEIs in the recent polls. (PNA)