Comelec blames schools for delay in allowances

School principals and supervisors were blamed yesterday for the non-payment of allowances to teachers who served during the May 14 congressional and local elections.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Alfredo Benipayo said yesterday election officers could not turn over the checks of teachers as the principals and supervisors have not yet prepared the required payroll.

"The checks are already with the election officers but the problem is they cannot just give the payment because the principal or supervisor has not yet prepared the payroll," he said.

Benipayo said the payroll is necessary for the liquidation and audit of the money to be paid to the teachers as required by government regulations.

"Without the payroll, the election officers will have a problem in liquidation and they’ll have to answer for this," he said.

Benipayo said the principals and supervisors are the ones who know the names of teachers who had done electoral duty and the precincts where they were assigned.—Pia Lee-Brago