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

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

_ 2604

House Bill No.

Introduced by
ACT TEACHERS Party-List Representative Antonio L. Tinio

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). 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 (Attorney II, Election Officers for cities, and Provincial Election
Supervisors), are in SG 18, SG 21, or 24, receiving P31,351, P39,493 or P46,084 monthly,
respectively. On the other hand, the Public Attorney's Office gives SG 25 to SG 29 (P53,730 to
73,099) to its Public Attorneys (PA | to PA V), while clerks of court in the Regional Trial Courts are at
SG 24 to SG 26 (P49,750 to P58,028).

‘The duties and jurisdiction of Provincial Election Supervisors, who manage areas with 500,000 to
1,000,000,000 voters, make them roughly equivalent to Division Superintendents in the Department
of Education (DepEd). The former are at SG 24 (P46,084) while the latter are at SG 26 (P58,028),
Election Officers manage areas with 20,000 to 400,000 voters, making them similarly situated with
DepEd’s District Supervisors. The former are at SG 12 to SG 21 SG 22 (P42,652).

Every step of the election process, from voters’ registration to the canvassing of votes, is carried out
because COMELEC employees toil all year round. They work even harder during the four-month-
Jong election season, and are additionally saddled by flawed automation. It is unjust that poll
workers—the very backbone of the democratic exercise—are rewarded by 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.

For these reasons, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

ANTONIO L. TINIO


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

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

4671

House Bill No.

Introduced by
ACT TEACHERS Party-List Representative Antonio L. Tinio

AN ACT
UPGRADING THE SALARIES OF EMPLOYEES OF THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “COMELEC Employees’ Salary Upgrading Act
of 2014.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. In accordance with the Constitution's equal protection clause, it
is the Government's responsibility to provide fair and adequate remuneration to employees with the
ultimate goal of achieving equal pay for equal work in government service,

SECTION 3. Increase in Salary Grades of Field COMELEC Employees. The present minimum salary
grade level of employees of the Commission on Elections shall be adjusted in the following manner:

POSITION CURRENT | INCREASED
SALARY SALARY

_ _—— ol __GRADE GRADE
| Contested Ballot Box Custodian | 2. 8. a
Contested Ballot Box Custodian It 10 13
Election Assistant! z 7 10
Election Assistant Il 9 12_
Election Field Officer - 21 24
Election Officer | 2 15
| Election Officer tt 15 18
"Election Officer II! 18 21
Election Officer IV (outside NCR) ea 24
Election Officer IV (within NCR) 21 25
Election Precincts Analyst |_ 10 3 |
Election Precincts Analyst 14 7
Regional Election Attorney 24 25
Provincial Election Supervisor | 23 26
Provincial Election Supervisor It 24 2 |
Provincial Election Supervisor II 25 26
Provincial Election Supervisor IV. 26 26 |



SECTION 4. Reclassification/Upgrading of Plantilla Positions in the COMELEC Main and Field
Offices. All remaining rank and file plantilla positions in the COMELEC main and field offices,
including casual employees, shall be reclassified and upgraded accordingly.

SECTION 5. Rules and Regulations. The Commission on Elections and the Department of Budget and
Management as well as other government agencies charged with the enforcement of this Act or any
of its parts shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations. Such rules and
regulations shall become effective fifteen (15) days after announcement of its adoption in
newspapers of general circulation.

SECTION 6. Appropriations. The Government shall appropriate such amount as may be necessary to
carry out the objectives of this Act. The initial funding required for the implementation of this Act
shall be sourced from the savings of the COMELEC and other possible sources that may be
determined by the Chairperson, and subsequent funds needed shall be included in the General
‘Appropriations Act for the year following the implementation of this Act.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. Should any provision herein be declared unconstitutional, the same
shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this Act.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or other issuances or
parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

SECTION 9. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or one (1) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved.