Latest news with #GeorgeErwinGarcia
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec urges law to institutionalize increase in teachers' honoraria
"Isa sa mga proposals ng inyong lingkod, sana magkaroon ng legislation na may automatic increase on a per election basis sa mga honoraria ng mga guro," Garcia said. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has called for legislation institutionalizing increases in the honoraria for teachers serving as election staff and making the benefit tax-free. At a news forum on Thursday, Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said that there will be no P2,000 across-the-board increase in the honoraria of teachers who will serve in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in October. The said increase was implemented in the May 12 mid-term elections. Garcia said the proposed P14 billion budget of the poll body for the 2025 BSKE was reduced to P11 billion. "Isa sa mga proposals ng inyong lingkod, sana magkaroon ng legislation na may automatic increase on a per election basis sa mga honoraria ng mga guro. Ibig sabihin, 'pag nagkakaroon din tayo ng increase sa gastusin, dapat may automatic increase sa honoraria ng mga guro,' Garcia told the monthly forum of the Manila City Hall Reporters' Association (MACHRA). (One of our proposals is for the crafting of a legislation that would automatically increase the honoraria of teachers per election basis.) 'Syempre pinu-push pa rin natin ang tax exemption ng mga guro. Hindi naisakatuparan nitong 2025 national and local elections. Sana magkaroon ng tax exemption sa BSKE and such other benefits. Susuportahan po natin yun," he said. (We're also pushing for the tax exemption of teachers. This did not happen in the 2025 NLE but we are hoping it would be implemented in the BSKE.) Teachers who served as poll workers in the recent elections received additional P2,000 honoraria. This gives ERB members with P10,000 and chairpersons with P12,000 but still subject to tax. According to Garcia, the Comelec will urge President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for additional honoraria, similar to the P1,000 increase granted to teachers for the 2025 May elections. 'Kahit hindi mismo sinasabi ng mga guro, nararapat lang yun,' Garcia added. (They may not say anything but teachers deserve that.) In September 2024, the Comelec said the budget cuts in their proposed 2025 funding will impact the preparations for the 2025 elections including the BSKE. It would likewise affect the voter education for the polls. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec to no longer accept barangay certificates for voter registration
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer accept barangay certificates as proof of residency for voter registration, poll body chief George Erwin Garcia said Thursday. 'Nire-revise na po namin ang guidelines natin sa registration. Tinatanggal na po namin ang barangay certification bilang ebidensya na puwedeng gamitin bilang pagpapatunay daw na taga-dun ang mga tao,' Garcia told the monthly forum of the Manila City Hall Reporters' Association in Ermita, Manila. (We are revising our guidelines for registration. We will no longer allow barangay certification as proof of residency for voter registration.) 'Sa dami naming barangay officials na aming inimbestigahan dahil sa aming palagay, 'yan ay na-weaponize…Ginagamit ng ilang tiwali na opisyal para maglipat ng kanilang botante o kaya alisin ang mga botante sa kanilang palagay ay kalaban nila,' he said. (We are investigating a lot of barangay officials, and we think this is being weaponized. Some officials were using this to move voters or remove voters who they think will not vote for them.) According to Garcia, the Comelec monitored incidents in the recent midterm polls in which barangay officials mistakenly issued barangay certificates. These included Makati and Cagayan de Oro, where the poll body found a surge in voter registration ahead of the May 12 elections. Garcia appealed to eligible voters to acquire government-issued identification (ID) cards, including senior citizen IDs, postal IDs, and student IDs. 'Dati wala naman talagang nakalagay na barangay certificates although hindi nawe-weaponize…Nagkaroon lang talaga ng pagbabago nung magkaroon ng decision ang SC [Supreme Court] sa kaso ng Sabili vs Comelec…Will the Comelec now defy the SC? No, we will just interpret the fact that the decision pertains to a candidate [who was able to show compliance with the one-year residency requirement for local elective officials by presenting a certification from the barangay captain]. Our decision pertains to being a voter,' Garcia said. (Barangay certificates were not used before, although they were not weaponized. It was changed after the SC decision in Sabili vs. Comelec. Will the Comelec now defy the SC? No, we will just interpret the fact that decision pertains to a candidate [who was able to show compliance with the one-year residency requirement for local elective officials by presenting a certification from the barangay captain]. Our decision pertains to being a voter.) The poll body first sought the ban on barangay certificates for voter registration last November. The Comelec is set to open the voter registration for the 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BKSE) from July 1 to July 11, 2025. Garcia said the poll body is expecting 1 million Filipinos to register as he reiterated their plans to expand their Register Anywhere Program and offsite mall voting program. For those who will fail to register or reactivate their voter registration, the poll chief allayed fears of disenfranchisement, saying they will reopen the voter registration for the whole year of 2026 for the 2028 elections. The 2025 BSKE will take place on December 1. For the May elections, 69,673,655 people had registered to vote, with 68,431,965 of them residing in the Philippines and 1,241,690 abroad. The Comelec expects three million new voters for the 2028 polls, increasing the total registered Filipino voters to around 71 million. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
19-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
#Eleksyon2025 poll workers in Lapu-Lapu City claim honorarium
Teachers who served during #Eleksyon2025 in Lapu-Lapu City arrived at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) office to fill out Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Form 2307, a requisite to claim their honorarium. Teachers who constituted the Electoral Board in Barangays Pangan-an, Caohagan, Caubian, Tungasan, Tingo, Talima, Caw-oy, Baring, San Vicente, Santa Rosa, Sabang, Pusok, Subabasbas, Pajo, and Punta Engaño, received their honorarium at about 1 p.m. on Monday, May 19, 2025. Teachers in other barangays in mainland Lapu-Lapu City are set to receive their honorarium on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, while support staff members are to get their honorarium on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, and Thursday, May 22, 2025. On Friday, May 23, 2025, other support staff members and technicians will get their honorarium. According to Atty. Ann Janette Lamban, election officer of COMELEC Lapu-Lapu City, there is a total of 906 Electoral Boards, 836 support staff members, 117 Priority Polling Place (PPP) support staff members, and 12 support staff members for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). The Electoral Board chairperson is set to receive P12,000; P11,000 for poll clerks and the third member; and P8,000 for each Electoral Board support staff member. However, a 15-percent tax will be deducted from the said amounts. Further, Atty. George Erwin Garcia, COMELEC chairman, has announced that poll workers will get an additional P1,000.
GMA Network
16-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec to no longer allow TV shows, ayuda as party-list names
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer allow party-list organizations to use names related to popular TV shows and government assistance or "ayuda" for the next elections. 'Hindi na kami papayag sa susunod na accreditation process na gagamit sila ng mga sikat na telenovela na pangalan. Hindi kami papayag na gagamit sila ng mga pangalan ng ayuda. Hindi na po tama yun,' said poll chief George Erwin Garcia. (We would no longer allow partylists to use popular TV shows and assistance as their names in the next accreditation. That is not proper.) Garcia said the Comelec cannot take action against the accredited partylists bearing such names, but added that organizations applying for accreditation should be identified with their advocacies. 'Sa mga susunod we will no longer allow. If they want accreditation, change the names of their party in accordance with their principles, kung ano ang kanilang plataporma,' he added. (We will no longer allow it next time. If they want accreditation, change the names of their party in accordance with their advocacy.) –NB, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
