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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Measure to postpone BSKE gets appro panel nod

Measure to postpone BSKE gets appro panel nod

Published Sep 9, 2022 10:55 am

A substitute measure that seeks the postponement of the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BKSE) has hurdled the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations.

Indelible ink is applied to a voter's finger (MB FIle Photo)

The panel conducted a hearing on Friday, Sept. 9 with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) present to deliberate over the substitute bill and the poll body’s proposed budget for the upcoming BKSE.

Vice Chairman Davao de Oro 2nd district Rep. Ruwel Gonzaga approved Cavite 4th district Rep. Elpidio Barzaga’s motion to approve the measure with no amendments.

The unnumbered measure is a consolidation of 41 different measures with over 70 authors. It is titled “An Act Postponing the December 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, amending for the purpose RA 9164, as amended by RAs 9340, 10632, 10656, 10923, 10952, and 11462, and appropriating funds therefor.”

While the bill seeks the deferment of the December 2022 BKSE, it does not actually specify if the polls will be moved to either May 2023 or December 2023--the two most commonly suggested deferment dates by the solon-authors.

One of the bill’s provisions, Section 4, says that “The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be taken from the appropriations of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) under the General Appropriations Act and/or supplementary appropriations thereafter.”

During the hearing, Comelec Chairman George Garcia revealed that if the elections were moved to May 2023, the Comelec would need P17,093,550,000 to carry it out. Since the Comelec currently holds about P7.5 billion in funds, the P17.09-billion proposal “includes a deficiency of P9.5-billion".

But, if the elections are to be delayed until December 2023, the Comelec would instead need P18,441,376,000, Garcia said. Minus the P7.5 billion Comelec leftover, the deficiency in this scenario would amount to P10,858,030,000, as per Garcia.

Garcia bared that the Comelec still had savings of P1.05 billion left over from the 2022 national and local elections. The Comelec also has a purse of about P421 million.

Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman manifested that Section 4 of the substitute bill must include an exact amount as to the appropriations for the long-delayed BSKE.

Gonzaga clarified that while the P7.5 billion and the P1.05 billion currently held by the Comelec were included under the previous 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the P9.5 billion and the P10.8 billion being asked by the Comelec were not.

Thus, he suggested that the funding be decided in plenary, subject to the finalized date of the postponed BKSE.

“Everything will follow. Idi-discuss po natin yan during the discussion in the plenary or during the appropriate time. I would suggest at this time not to amend Section 4 in any way,” Gonzaga said.

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