Teachers, who serve as electoral board members during elections, undergo training on vote counting machine operations in this March 11, 2022 photo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMATHE Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved a resolution increasing the service credits of all government personnel rendering election-related duties for the 2025 midterm elections to ten from five.
In a memorandum, dated Dec. 2, 2024, sent by Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia in a Viber chat group, the poll body adopted the resolution recommended by its Law Department which clarified concerns regarding leave privileges, particularly the computation and application of service credits for election services.
The recommendations included ensuring that all eligible government officials and employees, regardless of their specific roles, are granted service credits and addressing service credits’ non-commutative and non-cumulative nature under the Election Service Reform Act.
It clarified that extra credits should be in line with the guidelines on leave privileges as it recommended a meeting with the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Education.
Comelec earlier reported it is yet to train 186,000 teachers to work in the upcoming polls.
The training period is set from March 3 to 31. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
