There might be no enhance within the honoraria for the academics who will work as electoral board members through the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia stated Saturday.
Garcia defined that the ballot physique was not granted an extra finances for a rise in academics’ honoraria in gentle of its non-exemption from taxes.
“Sana po kasi ay aming dadagdagan, ipapakiusap na dadagdagan po ang makukha na honoraria ng ating mga guro subalit dahil nga po sa kakulangan ng budget ay minarapat po natin na i-fix na lang po ang kanilang matatanggap,” Garcia instructed reporters in an interview.
According to the Comelec chairman, Electoral Board chairmen will obtain P6,000; P5,000 for the Electoral Board members; and P4,000 for precinct employees.
In 2022, the Comelec was given P8.4 billion for the postponed December 2022 polls.
Since it was rescheduled to 2023, the Comelec requested Congress for an extra finances of P10 billion, on high of the P8.4 billion, for the BSKE.
However, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco stated Congress solely allotted P2.7 billion below this 12 months’s nationwide finances.
“As far as the P8.441 billion [budget in 2022], ‘yun po ay sapat lamang para doon sa original honoraria ng ating mga guro,” Garcia stated.
“Ang Comelec ay humahanap ng pamamaraan upang mas makatulong naman tayo sa kanila pong kalagayan dahil po ang pagsisilbi nila mula umaga hanggang gabi e. Ang pagbibilang po natin hindi naman po tayo automated election, manual po tayo kaya po mano-manong bibilangin ang mga balota,” he added.
Garcia stated they may want one other P2.7 to P3 billion for 2023 if the Comelec will register over a million new voters for the 2023 BSKE.
As of January 13, the Comelec had registered 1.024 million new voters.
“Siguro aabutin po tayo ng hanggang 1.5 [million new voters], which is yun po ang aming projection. So ‘yun po kakailanganin naman namin ng mga hanggang tatlong bilyong piso na lamang po upang maisagawa ang Barangay and SK election,” he stated.
“‘Yung isang milyong mahigit o 1.5 million na botante ay may karampatang pagdadagdag din po sa presinto at pag nagdagdag po tayo ng presinto, magdadagdag din po tayo ng electoral board members at syempre yung karagdagang 1.5 million na voters ay karagdagang pag-iimprenta ng balota and therefore, gagastusan din po namin yung pagiimprenta ng balota,” he added.
Garcia stated the fee would shoulder different operational bills.
“Hindi na po namin ‘yon (other expenses) hihingin. Hindi na po baleng medyo kami ay maghihgpit na lang sinturon para don pero ang importante po ay mai-hold natin ang eleksyon nang maayos,” he stated.
Printing, registration
Meanwhile, Garcia was assured that the 2023 BSKE would push by means of in October, reiterating that the ballot physique was seeking to full poll printing by February.
“Ako po, siguradong sigurado ako, base sa aking assessment ng sitwasyon, at ang kumisyon din po, ang en banc, ay sigurado na matutuloy na po tayo sa October 2023 na Barangay and SK elections,” he stated.
“In fact po, kami po ay nasa [kalagitnaan] na ng pagpi-print ng mga balota na gagamitin po natin sa barangay and SK election. Nangangahulugan po, base po sa pagtataya ng Comelec, matutuloy po tayo sa barangay and SK [election] ng October dahil napakaaga po kung matatapos po kami ng printing ng February, sobrang aga po non–pinakamaaga actually sa kasaysayan ng pagpiprint ng mga balota natin pero maganda po yon para at least handa na kami,” he added.
Garcia together with Comelec Commissioner Nelson Java Celis and a number of other different officers visited Tawi-Tawi on Saturday to verify the standing of voter registration and the welfare of the native Comelec workplace within the province.
“Gusto rin po nating patunayan sa lahat na pepwede naman pong katulad po namin, pwedeng pumunta sa pinakamalalayong lugar, pwedeng sumadya at magbigay ng oras bakit naman po kayo na nandyan lang sa mga bahay at malapit lamang ang aming Comelec offices at yung registration area namin, hindi kayo makapagparehistro. Di po ba? So wala po ito sa layo, ito po ay nasa determinasyon natin na iexercise naman ang ating obligasyon na magparehistro bilang isang botante,” he stated.
Garcia lamented that voter registration was lukewarm in cities the place extra Comelec registration websites have been obtainable.
“Nakakalungkot minsan na kung nasaan pa ang siyudad, nasaan pa yung mga areas or cities na napakadaming mamamayan, doon mababa ang registration,” he stated.
Tawi-tawi had greater than 200,000 registered voters, in response to Provincial Election Supervisor Alnie Burahim.
Burahim stated they’re anticipating 5,000 to 10,000 new registrants by the tip of the registration interval on January 31. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
