Comelec: PNP, AFP to receive less budget for village polls

Comelec Office FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Funds allocated for the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for their security operations in the forthcoming barangay (village) elections are not enough, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Thursday.

In a command conference between Comelec, PNP and AFP and Department of Education at Camp Crame, Quezon City, Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said the approved budget for PNP and AFP is P100 million, but said they actually need roughly P500 million for their operations.

He said they are set to ask the Department of Budget and Management to augment the budget allocated for PNP and AFP.

PNP and AFP both said the funds would mostly be used for fuel and food for officers who will be deployed to secure the elections.

However, PNP and AFP officials maintained that the financial issue would not keep them from doing their jobs.

“We will not be disrupted from doing our jobs, may pondo man o wala. That’s part of our mandate,” Deputy Director General Felipe Rojas Jr., PNP deputy chief for Operations, said in behalf of the PNP.

“May support or wala, we will still continue with our mandate,” Brigadier General Rodelio Santos, deputy chief of staff for Operations, meanwhile said for AFP.