No Comelec honoraria yet for NoCot teachers

KIDAPAWAN CITY--Close to 2,500 support staff and board of election inspectors (BEIs) who served during the May 13 local elections in North Cotabato have not yet received their honoraria from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

There were 2,817 teachers in the province that served as BEIs during the elections and 2,203 were support staff, according to Cotabato provincial election supervisor Kendatu Laguialam.

Of the BEIs, 800 were paid through cash cards and others through their automated teller machine (ATM) accounts.

However, there are other teachers that served as support staff, yet, have not received their election hono- raria.

To cite a few complaints, in Arakan town, acting municipal election officer Joel Celis said at least 89 support staff and BEIs were not paid.

In Magpet town, at least 96 support workers of the BEIs have not yet received their election honoraria, according to acting municipal election officer Maxima Catatista.

Laguialam said these BEIs and support staff failed to receive their honoraria because of their failure to apply for a cash card.

Also, he said there were other BEIs whose names were not included in the list submitted recently by the Department of Education (DepEd) North Cotabato.

The Comelec head office, when they deposited the payments, failed to coordinate with the election officers in

the municipalities, according to Laguialam.

“As to payment, instead of coordinating with the election officers, the Comelec head office directed their communications with the Department of Education. As compared to the DepEd, the election officers are more knowledgeable about the BEIs that served during the elections because they were the ones that prepared the payroll,” he explained.

Through a request from the Comelec head office, DepEd North Cotabato had submitted the ATM accounts of BEIs that served during the elections. This list, however, was not updated.

“There were those that received payment from the Comelec, yet, did not serve in the local polls,” Laguialam said.

To settle the problem, Laguialam sent two of his staff at the Comelec head office to reconcile the records.

“But definitely, these BEIs would be given payments. As to when, we still have to wait,” he said.

There were 939 clustered precincts in North Cotabato with 2,817 BEIs and 2,203 support staff, records from Comelec North Cotabato showed.