• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
At least 660 support staff hired by the Commission on Elections in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, to serve in the recently concluded synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, have not yet been paid their honorarium, Mayor Benjie Miranda disclosed yesterday.
Miranda said the Comelec in Kabankalan City asked for his help in paying the personnel who rendered poll election duties, which involved the amount of P3.7 million.
He added that Comelec admitted to an “honest mistake” in hiring the services of the support staff, which was allowed during previous national elections, but not during the barangay and SK elections.
We are trying to look for a legal basis for them to get paid, Miranda said.
Asked for his comment, Provincial Comelec supervisor Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria said it is being investigated. He did not elaborate further.
Miranda also disclosed that it happened not only in Kabankalan City, but also in two other local government units in Negros Occidental.
Each support staff is entitled to receive P5,500 each as honorarium for the services rendered.
We are not saying that we are not going to help them, but the city government has no budget for it, Miranda said.
Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia earlier disclosed that honoraria for teachers and poll workers who served during the 2023 BSKE must be paid 15 days after the election.
Based on the updated honoraria, the Comelec raised the compensation from P6,000 and P5,000, to P10,000 and P9,000, for electoral board chairpersons and board members, respectively.*
