Commission on Election (Comelec) chairman George Garcia on Thursday, Nov. 2, said there are no overtime pay for teachers, who served as members and chairpersons of electoral boards (EBs) during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

In a press interview, Garcia explained that the joint circular issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) stated that only regular employees of government agencies shall be entitled to overtime pay.

“Noong 2022 [National and Local Election], na-encounter na natin yung scenario na ‘yan [overtime pay request]. Therefore, ako mismo, as commissioner at the time, gusto ko talagang i-push yung overtime para sa mga guro,” he said.

“Kaya lamang, binigyan ako copy ng isang COA and DBM joint circular kung saan sinasabi talaga doon, ang entitled lang sa overtime ay yung mga empleyado ng isang ahensya o departamento,” Garcia added.

He said that since teachers are not Department of Education's employees, they cannot claim overtime compensation.

The Comelec chief also said that the poll body cannot grant overtime pay since the budget allocated for the BSKE was limited.

“Kung natatandaan natin, yung budget na meron kami ay yung budget noong nakaraang taon na eleksyon natin plus nadagdagan lang ng onti para sa dagdag na botante. Pero para sa mga overtime, wala ring naibigay sa atin,” he said.

On Oct. 31, Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) chairperson Benjo Basas wrote a letter addressed to Garcia, wherein he requested the grant of overtime pay for teachers who “work beyond 24 hours.”

He also asked the poll body chairman for the “exemption of the election duty honoraria and allowances from 20% tax.”

Based on Comelec’s data, every EB chairperson received P6,000 honoraria and each EB member got P5,000 during the 2022 NLE.

For this year’s BSKE, an EB chairperson was accorded P10,000 while an EB member accepted P9,000.