THE House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday night terminated the budget hearings on the proposed P35.47 billion budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after lawmakers vowed to move for the restoration of the P14 billion that was cut from the poll body’s original proposal.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong committed to move for the restoration of the P14.277 billion which was slashed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) from the Comelec’s original budget proposal of P49.748 billion.
Part of the slashed budget was the almost P3 billion for the midterm polls and P8.299 billion for the 2025 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“It emboldens the position of this representation to move at the proper time, this is a recommendation of the committee and all of us would agree, to move (for) the restoration of your funding from the initial budget you have requested to the Department of Budget and Management, to restore the P14,P277, 926 to the budget that you have originally and initially requested from DBM. That is a manifestation. I will convert that into a formal motion at the proper time Mr. Chairman,” Adiong said.
Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop and other lawmakers also expressed their support for the restoration of the Comelec’s budget even if Garcia initially said he did not want to burden Congress.
Elections chairman George Garcia described 2025 as a “super election” year, with the proposed budget covering the automated midterm National and Local Elections (NLE), the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election (BPE), and the manual BSKE to follow five months later.
The BPE is where 80 members of parliament will be elected in accordance with the peace process commitment and Republic Act 11054, or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2025, Comelec will only receive P35.47 billion, of which P14.95 billion is allocated for the midterm elections and P11.59 billion for the BSKE.
Comelec has proposed P18.02 billion budget for the national and local elections.
Due to the constraints imposed by the NEP budget, Comelec decided to operate with around 104,000 machines and precincts, instead of the 128,000 initially planned for the 2025 elections.
