Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia on Thursday proposed increasing poll workers’ allowances instead of exempting them from taxes.
“Instead of tax exemptions, why don’t we just raise the allowances [or] honoraria that we would be giving our poll watchers, specially since we have a budget for it,” Garcia said.
Garcia said he agrees with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to veto a bill that would have provided tax breaks to poll workers.
“That is within the President’s power. We, at Comelec, now have the obligation to ensure the welfare of poll workers,” Garcia added.
Mr. Marcos said the tax exemption “runs counter”with the government’s tax program to “correct the inequity in the country’s tax system and negate the progressivity of the reforms.”
“Moreover, the studies of pertinent government agencies on the revenue loss is too substantial an impact to be foregone,” he added.