Antipolo: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday confirmed its readiness to conduct the special polls in Antipolo City's Second District on March 14. The commission announced that the printing of the manual ballots is currently underway and is expected to be completed within the week.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia emphasized their preparedness in an interview, stating, "More or less, we are prepared to hold the special polls." He also expressed gratitude for the support provided by the local government unit and other government agencies in facilitating the electoral process.

Garcia also addressed the issue of compensation for teachers who will serve during the special polls, revealing that Comelec will not be able to provide additional allowances. This is due to the fact that they did not receive extra funds from the Department of Budget and Management. The commission initially requested PHP98 million for the election but was allocated a budget ranging between PHP70 million and PHP75 million.

"We will not be able to give them an across-the-board increase. We will use our savings for their pay," Garcia explained. In previous elections, teachers received a minimum of PHP9,000 and up to PHP12,000 for their services.

Furthermore, Garcia mentioned that the training for teachers, who may be unfamiliar with manual voting processes, will be conducted in schools instead of hotels to manage costs. He also noted that the meal allowance for these training sessions will be modest.