Comelec: Extra budget not for charter change plebiscite

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia  (Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday said  that the additional P12 billion allocated to the commission in the 2024 national budget is not intended for a plebiscite on charter change (Cha-cha).

“Napakapresumptuous pa at this point ‘yung mga ganyan,” Garcia told reporters.

(That is very presumptuous.)

Garcia explained that he has been consistently vocal about asking for the restoration of the P17.4 billion budget that was cut from their proposal.

He, however, said that only P12 billion was granted, and this amount will be used for preparations for the national and local elections.

“Nakakatuwa naman, nagpapasalamat kami sa Bicameral Conference Committee sapagkat doon po nagkadagdag na budget ang Comelec. Maaaring hindi ganoon kalaki, kulang pa po ‘yung naidagdag sa amin, pero kahit papaano pupwedeng simulan,” he said.

(We’re glad and we express our gratitude to the Bicameral Conference Committee because the Comelec’s budget was increased. It may not be that big; what was added to us is still insufficient, but we can start with that.)

“Ngayon, ‘yan nga ba ay gagamitin sa kahit na anong plebisito or initiative? Hindi pa po natin masasagot ‘yan. Ang importante po may magagamit kaming budget sa mga paghahanda na gagawin namin lalo na sa national and local elections,” Garcia explained.

(Now, will that be used for any plebiscite or initiative? We cannot answer that yet. What’s important is that we have a budget to use for the preparations we will make, especially for the national and local elections.)

On Tuesday, Albay 2nd District Rep. Edcel Lagman claimed that public funds are being used to push for charter change.

He was referring to the P14 billion item in the 2024 national budget, which was inserted during the bicameral conference committee hearing to fund Cha-cha.

“Embedded in the 2024 General Appropriations Act is the total amount of about P14-B for the ‘Conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes and plebiscites,’ P12-B of which was inserted by the bicameral conference committee under the budget of the Commission of Elections,” Lagman said in a statement.

“The appropriations for these activities in the 2023 GAA was only P2-B, which was increased by about 700% this year.  The huge allocation of P14-B is bigger than the appropriations for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) with a total appropriation of P9,896,172,000.00,” he added.

But Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, who also heads the House committee on appropriations tasked with crafting the budget, noted that the budget item referred to came from Comelec’s request to restore its budget.