Individuals serving as members of the
Board of Elections Inspectors (BEI), Special Board of Election
Inspectors (SBEI), Board of Election Tellers (BET) as well as their
support staff may likely receive insurance coverage, on top of the
usual honoraria given election workers. The House of Representatives
approved last week House Bill no. 6528 -- the Election Officer/Staff
Insurance Act of 2012 -- giving insurance coverage to said personnel
"from the time the insured is exposed to any election-related risk,
starting from, but not limited to, the acquisition of election
paraphernalia
and...terminated upon the proper turnover of the same to the
appropriate receiving officer or until any election-related risk is
not present anymore."
According to the bill, the Government Service Insurance System
(GSIS) will be the implementing agency, while the Comelec is tasked
to furnish the GSIS with the list of all personnel assigned to the
election boards mentioned, as well as those who actually served
during the election. Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) deputized by the
Comelec for the election will not be covered by the insurance
coverage, unless they were appointed to act as members of the BEI,
SBEI, and BET.
The bill mandates that the death benefits shall include the awarding
of PhP 200,000 to the beneficiaries on the first year of
implementation of the proposed law and the insurance coverage shall
also include hospitalization and medical expenses of the injured
beneficiary until his/her recovery notwithstanding benefits provided
for by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or any
institution granting the same to the insured.
The Senate is expected to approve a similar measure before this is
made into law.
(Source: Philippine Congress) |
