Comelec personnel stage lunch strike

Employees of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) staged a wildcat strike during their lunch break yesterday, calling for the resignation of a senior poll official they accuse of irregularities.

The employees demanded the resignation of Comelec financial director Eduardo Mejos whom they blame for the delay in the release of their salaries and remittance of benefits.

In a statement, the disgruntled employees led by Luallah Elisa Pama of the Alliance of Comelec Employees in Service Inc. warned they would continue with their mass action until all their conditions are met.

They also complained of poor working conditions in the Comelec.

The strike marked the second time the same employees protested the non-release of their benefits and asked that Mejos resign.

The employees also demanded the restoration of the internal audit in the poll body and full disclosure of its financial status.

They demanded the full and updated remittances of premiums and loan payments for the Government Service Insurance System, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth contributions.

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra, for his part, said Mejos will be required to explain the expenses and unpaid obligations before the poll body en banc.

Borra said Mejos would be asked what has been done to get the balance of the Comelec’s budget.

Comelec has a P4.7-billion budget for this year but more than P3 billion of the allocation was spent for the May 10 elections.

Out of the remaining P1.5-billion operational expense allocation, only P800 million was released by the Department of Budget and Management.

"We will require him (Mejos) to explain before the en banc because that is his obligation as financial adviser," Borra said.

For his part, Mejos merely denied the claims made by the protesting employees.

Mejos was an official brought in by Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos in all government offices he headed from the Mandaluyong City Hall, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), up to the Comelec.

"The fact is the GSIS has not written to us about such delays in remittances. If that was true, GSIS should have written to us already," Mejos said.

He claimed the Comelec internal audit is still operating while denying any delay in the salaries of its employees.

Mejos said he has no intention of talking to the employees by claiming his senior staff could effectively handle the situation.

Borra, on the other hand, admitted Comelec is having financial difficulties, blaming the DBM for failing to release its remaining P700-million operational budget for the year.

The issue prompted an investigation into its fiscal management when the employees staged a lunch time mass action yesterday protesting the non-release of their benefits.

Borra claimed the Comelec is living on a shoestring budget with some promised additional benefits to its employees still unfulfilled.

"We are not financially straight. Probably just for the purpose of meeting day-to-day or household expenses (we are surviving), but the other obligations, with this development (protest of the employees), seem to be still pending," Borra said.

"Management-wise it is not sound. It is not efficient," he added.

Borra said that P800 million earlier allocated to the poll body has been exhausted and savings from the past year of operations have been diverted to other expenses for this year.

"We need to hear the official report on the financial status of the Commission. How much have been released through SARO (special allotment release order) and through the NCA (notice of cash allotment) and what is the amount spent for and for what purpose or items of expenditure so that we will know why this is happening," Borra added.