Poll chief: Difficult to start construction of new Comelec building with P500M

GARCIA DEFENDS P5.2-B COMELEC 2023 BUDGET: Chairman George Garcia leads the defense of the P5.2 billion Commission on Elections (Comelec) budget for 2023 during the hybrid hearing of the Finance Subcommittee “I” Thursday, October 20, 2022. Senate PRIB photo / Bibo Nueva España

MANILA, Philippines — It would be “very difficult” to jumpstart the construction of the new Commission on Elections (Comelec) building along Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City with a mere P500 million budget.

Comelec chairman George Garcia said this when he and other poll body officials faced the Senate finance subcommittee on Thursday to present and defend their proposed P5.2 billion budget for 2023.

Although Comelec has already secured land for the new building, Garcia said they still needed around P9.337 billion to erect the project. This, he noted, is seen to yield P21.275 billion in savings for 50 years.

But only P500 million was earmarked for Comelec’s building complex project.

READ: New Comelec building a ‘necessity,’ says Garcia 

With this in mind, Senator Imee Marcos, who presided over the subpanel hearing, asked: “With P500 million, what can you begin with?”

“As much as possible, with all due respect, we will be needing P1.5 billion for the first year. […] There will not be many constructors that may participate in the bidding if it will only be P500 million,” Garcia answered.

Marcos then prodded if this means Comelec cannot start the building construction with a “mere P500 million.”

“It’s very very difficult to be very honest and frank,” the poll chief stressed.

Currently, Comelec rents various spaces, including some floors at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila, and warehouses in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Garcia said the poll body spends a total of P179 million a year to rent its main, regional, and field offices. — With reports from Trisha Manalaysay, trainee

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JPV