The election officer of Kabankalan City partially paid the honoraria of the 660 support staff who served in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and resigned, Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria confirmed on Tuesday, January 23.
Lawyer Jona Cabanilla resigned for personal reasons in mid-January and was replaced by Kabankalan senior election assistant Anna Liza Edral as OIC, Ananoria said.
The hiring of the 660 BSKE support staff in Kabankalan in the October 2023 polls was not allowed by the Comelec.
The usual honoraria paid to election support staff is P5,500.
Kabankalan City Mayor Benjie Miranda earlier said that the 660 BSKE support staff had not received their honoraria due to an honest mistake made by the Office of the City Election Officer.
Ananoria said Cabanilla paid P2,000 to each of the 660 support staff from her personal funds, or a total of P1.3 million.
The case involving the unauthorized hiring of support staff if pending before the Comelec en banc, Ananoria said.
He said with the resignation of Cabanilla administrative charges are not likely to continue, but a civil case could remain.
The Himamaylan Comelec also hired 221 BSKE support staff in October 2023 and a case is pending before the Comelec en banc, Ananoria said.
The new election officer of Himamaylan City is lawyer Keinth Horario, while OIC Romeo Palma assumed his previous post as election assistant, Ananoria said.
Lawyer Johnnie Lou de la Cerna is the new election officer of La Carlota City.*