The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has embarked on an investigation concerning the unexpected withdrawal of Election Boards (EBs) during the elections held on October 30.
According to Philippines News Agency, over 2,500 teachers from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Abra, and the Bicol Region vacated their poll duties without prior notice on election day. The abrupt withdrawal and the subsequent refusal to hand over election materials to their replacements, he noted, are areas of concern that the commission seeks to understand in order to safeguard the integrity of future elections.
While acknowledging that service in the polls is voluntary, Garcia expressed the need for clarity on the reasons behind such withdrawals, especially on the day of the election when precincts had already opened. The teachers’ group, in response, highlighted that there were valid reasons for the withdrawal of EBs on election day, emphasizing the importance of ensuring safety and security, which if found lacking, points to a failure on the part of the government.
Furthermore, the Comelec chairman addressed the issue of overtime pay for poll watchers who served beyond 24 hours, stating that despite the desire to compensate, such payments are not feasible due to budgetary constraints and the provisions of a joint circular from the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management, which does not allow for overtime pay for non-Comelec employees.
In contrast, the honoraria distribution seems to be progressing, with Comelec data indicating that nearly 100,000 out of the 605,379 teachers who served on election day have already received their payments as of Thursday morning.