Senate panel suspends Comelec budget debates over failure to submit documents
Comelec headquarters
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate finance subcommittee suspended on Monday the deliberations on the 2023 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Senator Imee Marcos, who presided over the hearing, suspended the discussion as she expressed alarm at the poll body’s failure to submit necessary documents.
“I am not in receipt of any document at all. That being the case, I urge that we postpone this budget hearing.
“I was alarmed by the failure of Comelec to produce the required information,” said Marcos, chairperson of the Senate panel on electoral reforms and people’s participation.
Comelec chairman George Garcia explained that certain officials had not prepared the necessary documents.
“There was a preparation, but it would appear that certain of our officials failed to prepare the summary as being requested by the chairperson, your honor,” he said.
Garcia assured Marcos that they would submit the needed documents Monday afternoon.
Among the documents that the panel is requesting are information on the budget for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, workers’ compensation, and vote buying in the May 2022 polls.
