The House of Representatives has transmitted to the Senate a bill making election service non-compulsory for public school teachers.The chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, Rep. Fredenil Castro said he and Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the committee on appropriations, steered the proposed Election Service Reform Act jointly with its principal authors during the series of debates and interpellations in the House plenary.
Castro said the House Bill 5412 is the substitute of five separate but similar measures filed earlier by Representatives Antonio Tinio of ACT-Teachers party-list, Regina Ongsiako Reyes of Marinduque, Erlinda Santiago of 1-Sagip party-list, Eric Olivarez of Parañaque City, Lawrence Lemuel Fortun of Agusan del Norte, vice presidential bet Leni Robredo of Camarines Sur, Edgar Erice of Caloocan City, Harlin Abayon of Northern Samar, Nicasio Aliping Jr. of Baguio City and Emmeline Aglipay Villar of Diwa party-list.
The measure is designed “to free school teachers from engaging in compulsory election duties as currently practiced and to open up election service to other government employees, members of the Commission on Elections-accredited citizen arms and private citizens of known probity and competence,” he said.
Under the bill, should there be a lack of teachers willing, available and qualified to serve, Comelec may appoint any registered voter in accordance with and order of preference as provided under the proposed statute.
The order of preference is stated as follows: 1) private school teachers, 2) Department of Education’s non-teaching personnel, 3) other national government officials and employees holding regular or permanent positions, excluding members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, 4) members of the Comelec-accredited citizens arms and other Comelec-accredited civil society organizations and non-government organization, and 5) any citizen of known probity and competence who is not involved with any candidate or political party.
The House-approved bill provides that persons rendering election services should be entitled to honoraria, travel allowance and such other benefits as may be granted by the Comelec, at rates to be determined and approved by the Department of Budget and Management, subject to existing accounting, budgeting and auditing rules and regulations, Castro said.
It also provides for legal assistance and an equitable legal indemnification package and provisions for claims for persons rendering election services.
The initial funding for the proposed law shall be charged against the current Comelec appropriations and thereafter, such amount necessary to implement the Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.