aN
RECEIVED

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 3923

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RENEE LOUISE M. CO

AN ACT
REORGANIZING THE FIELD OFFICES OF THE COMMISSION ON
ELECTIONS BY UPGRADING AND CREATING CERTAIN POSITIONS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 53 OF BATAS PAMBANSA 881,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE,” AS
AMENDED, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

For decades, the principle of “equal pay for equal work” has not been felt by
employees of the Constitutional body, Commission on Elections (COMELEC). The
COMELEC constitutes around 6,000 employees nationwide, the majority of whom are
from the rank-and-file receiving a mid- to low-level income. These employees
express great dismay at the glaring disparity of their current salaries compared to
fellow government employees with similar qualifications in other agencies, as well as
other Constitutional bodies. Thus, in 2012, the COMELEC Employees’ Union
(COMELEC-EU) was organized to lobby for substantial and just salary increases for
election workers, among other purposes.

In their research and consultations, the COMELEC-EU found that the disparity
in their salary schedule, which dates back to the 1990s, as opposed to those in other
agencies ranges from three to five salary grades (SG).

COMELEC lawyers, accountants, statisticians, and other professionals receive
less than their counterparts in other agencies and it is only in COMELEC where they
are classified as rank-and-file. For instance, COMELEC lawyers (Attomey II,
Election Officers for cities, and Provincial Election Supervisors), are in SG 18, SG 21,


or SG 24, receiving P51,304, P70,013 or P98,185 monthly, respectively. On the other
hand, the Public Attorney’s Office gives SG 25 to SG 29 (P111,727 to P180,492) to its
Public Attorneys (PA I to PA V), while clerks of court in the Regional Trial Courts are
at SG 24 to SG 26 (P98,185 to P126,252).

The duties and jurisdiction of Provincial Election Supervisors, who manage
areas with half a million to a million voters, make them roughly equivalent to Division
Superintendents in the Department of Education (DepEd). The former are at SG 24
(P98,185 per month) while the latter are at SG 26 (P126,252). Election Officers
(EOs) manage areas with 20,000 to 400,000 voters, making them similarly situated
with DepEd’s District Supervisors (DSs). COMELEC’s EOs are at SG 12 (P32,245)
while DepEd’s DSs are at SG 22 (P78, 162).

Every step of the election process, from voters’ registration to the canvassing
of votes, is carried out all year round, so COMELEC employees toil all year round.
They work even harder during the four-month-long election season, and are
additionally saddled by flawed automation. Furthermore, their duties and functions,
especially the field officers, have drastically evolved due to the developments in the
Philippine electoral landscape. This demand on the field officers to continuously
learn, acquire new skills, and take on tasks apart from their existing ones for the
success of every election merits the upgrading of their salary.

In a society where prices of the basic goods and services continuously increase,
a livable compensation to COMELEC employees must be given for them to cope up
with the soaring cost of living in the country. It is unjust that poll workers—the very
backbone of the democratic exercise—are rewarded by the government with salaries
disproportionate to their vital roles.

Answering COMELEC employees’ call for decent salaries will also help
insulate them from graft and corruption during elections, and compensate them for the
risks they are forced to take due to election violence. This particular measure is
supported by the COMELEC-EU, and was also approved on Third Reading in the 18°
Congress.

The campaign of COMELEC employees for just salaries that will enable them
to provide decent lives for themselves and their families has gone unanswered for far
too long—just as in the case of public school teachers, the rest of the civilian
bureaucracy, and workers in the private sector. Therefore, the passage of this Bill is
earnestly sought.

Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO Rep. OUISE M. CO
ACT Teachers Party-List KABA Partv-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 3923

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RENEE LOUISE M. CO

AN ACT
REORGANIZING THE FIELD OFFICES OF THE COMMISSION ON
ELECTIONS BY UPGRADING AND CREATING CERTAIN POSITIONS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 53 OF BATAS PAMBANSA 881,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE,” AS
AMENDED, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Section 1. Section 53 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 881, otherwise known as the
“Omnibus Election Code,” is hereby amended to read as follows:

Sec. 53. Field offices of the Commission. ~ The Commission shall have
the following field offices:

{(1) Regional Election Office, headed by the Regional Election Director
and assisted by the Assistant Regional Director and such other
subordinate officers or employees as the Commission may appoint.

(2) Provincial Election Office, headed by the Provincial Election
Supervisor and assisted by such other subordinate officers or employees
as the Commission may appoint.

(3) City/Municipal Election Office, headed by the City/Municipal
Registrar who shall be assisted by an election clerk and such other
employees as the Commission may appoint.]


(1) OFFICE OF THE REGIONAL ELECTION DIRECTOR FOR
ALL REGIONS INCLUDING THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

REGION

POSITION

SALARY
GRADE

REGIONAL ELECTION DIRECTOR

28

ASSISTANT REGIONAL ELECTION
DIRECTOR

27

REGIONAL ELECTION ATTORNEY

25

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
OFFICER

2

ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST

BUDGET OFFICER

FINANCE OFFICER

STENOGRAPHIC REPORTER III

PROCESS SERVER

ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IIE

ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE I

WATCHMAN OFFICER

DRIVER

(2) OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION DIREC’

‘TOR

POSITION

SALARY
GRADE

PROVINCIAL ELECTION DIRECTOR

25/26

ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST

18

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE
TECHNOLOGIST

17

ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE 1

DRIVER

(3) OFFICE OF THE CITY/MUNICIPAL ELECTION DIRECTOR



POSITION SALARY
GRADE

ELECTION SPECIALIST It 18
ELECTION SPECIALIST I 15
MUNICIPAL ELECTION SUPERVISOR m4
(in the municipalities)
CITY ELECTION DIRECTOR I 25
(in component cities)
CITY ELECTION DIRECTOR II 26
(in the NCR and Highly Urbanized Cities)
ELECTION SPECIALIST/COMPUTER 15
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN (CMT) I
ELECTION SPECIALIST/COMPUTER 18
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN (CMT) II

The Commission may delegate its powers and functions or order the
implementation or enforcement of its orders, rulings, or decisions
through the heads of its field offices.

Section 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the
approval of this Act, the COMELEC, in coordination with the Department of Budget
and Management, shall issue the rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act.

Section 3. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the available appropriations of the COMELEC under
the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary
for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

Section 4. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
presidential proclamations, letters of implementation, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

Section 5. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,