Despite additional allowance, teachers still wary of security

Despite being promised an additional P1,500 allowance for the May 10 elections, teachers doing poll duties, especially those assigned in areas tagged as election hotspots, remain worried over their security. Alliance of Concerned Teachers chairman Antonio Tinio said Monday that they want a dialogue with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Philippine National Police (PNP) on the matter. "Kailangan matiyak in general, inaasahan ng Comelec ang PNP para magbigay ng seguridad (We must ensure the safety of our teachers in general. We know the Comelec expects the PNP to provide security for our teachers)," Tinio said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He said they are waiting for the feedback of the Department of Education (DepEd) on the matter. At the same time, Tinio said the DepEd and Comelec must speed up training on how to use the machines that will be utilized in the country’s first nationwide automated elections. "Our concern is that the teachers must be trained to use the actual machines at the actual precincts," he said in Filipino. Training for BEIs Last week, the Comelec said it has started training over 150,000 teachers who will serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) come election day. [See: Comelec begins training teachers to assist in automated polls] Also last Thursday, the Comelec issued Resolution 8786 granting teachers serving BEIs on May 10 an additional allowance of P1,500. This is aside from their basic honoraria of P3,000, the Comelec resolution promulgated last Thursday read. "Each (BEI member) shall receive P500 for the Inspection, Verification and Sealing of Book of Voters; P500 for the Testing and Sealing of Machines; and P500 for one-time transportation allowance," the resolution read. The Comelec also granted service credits of three days for the teachers. The poll body is set to tap 240,000 teachers to supervise 74,000 clustered precincts nationwide. According to the law, BEIs are entitled to a P1,000 honorarium a day for serving on the day before the elections, the election day itself and the day after. The Comelec resolution said support staff members of the BEIs shall also be granted honorarium and service credits. "Support staff shall receive an honorarium of P1,500 each and service credits for three days of service," it said. Clustered precincts composed of three polling precincts shall be entitled to one additional support staff; four precincts with two support staffs; and those with five to seven clustered precincts with three. - RSJ, GMANews.TV