By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY – The Commission on Elections in Bicol (Comelec-5) has started issuing honoraria to nearly 40,000 poll workers in the six Bicol provinces for their services during the May 12 midterm elections.
In an interview on Friday, Comelec-Legazpi City election officer Conie Del Castillo said they have 1,234 poll workers who served during the elections.
She said the disbursement of honoraria began on Thursday with initial payments given to the Department of Education Supervisor Official (DESO), along with support staff and technical support.
“We are currently providing payments for members of the electoral boards, which include the chairperson, poll clerk, third member and the electoral board support staff,” Del Castillo said, adding that the law requires them to distribute the honoraria within 15 days after the election.
“The chairperson of the electoral board will receive P12,000, while the third member and poll clerk will each receive P11,000. Support staff members will receive P8,000. Please note that all honorariums are subject to tax,” Del Castillo added.
She said Legazpi City has 189 clustered precincts, with each precinct consisting of a chairperson, a poll clerk, a third member, and corresponding support staff based on the number of precincts in the cluster.
“Each municipality has its own payment arrangement for poll workers. We hope that all electoral board members and support staff can come in today so we can achieve 100% of the payments,” Del Castillo said and expressed her gratitude to all poll workers for their services in the midterm polls which saw a historic voter turnout of 82 percent.
“We are very grateful to them because the election wouldn’t have been successful without their services,” she said. (PNA)