By Leslie Ann Aquino The possibility of having a reenacted budget drew concern from the Commission on Elections. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez (FILE PHOTO / CAMILLE ANTE / MANILA BULLETIN) Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez is concerned about the impact of having a reenacted budget particularly on the pay of teachers who will serve as Board of Election Inspectors in the May 13 midterm polls. “We believe that having reenacted budget will have a very pronounced impact on ability to conduct elections from the simple reason that the budget that will be put into use in 2019 was created in 2018 when there were no elections coming up,” he said in a press briefing Friday. “There are many items needed in 2019 that were not included in 2018, primarily the honoraria for election workers,” explained Jimenez. “Therefore, even if the 2018 budget is reenacted there will be no line item budget which we can use,” he said. According to Jimenez, COMELEC would need an estimated P3.2 billion to finance the honoraria for teachers and support staff. He added that election service is not simple and easy that’s why the teachers deserve to be recompensed. The poll official appealed to lawmakers to already pass the national budget for 2019 for the sake of the teachers and support staff that will be manning all the polling precincts on Election Day. “In their deliberations in the coming days, we hope that this is not lost in the shuffle, the fact that the teachers, who will be serving in the 2019 elections, will be paid based on an appropriation which can only be found in the 2019 budget,” said Jimenez.