According to poll chairman George Garcia, the P14-billion cut in the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) proposed 2025 budget will affect preparations for next year’s National and Local elections (NLE), including the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).
Garcia made the remarks during the Senate hearing on Comelec’s proposed P35.47-billion budget for next year, saying that at least P3 billion of the slashed budget was initially allocated to the NLE. In contrast, around P8 billion was allocated to BSKE.
“The BSKE will be greatly affected because it will be conducted manually… the fund for the support staff and honorarium will be affected,” Garcia said.
According to him, Comelec may realign its P13-billion unused funds for 2024 to fill the budget cut, as he reiterated that the funding was never intended for the controversial people’s initiative (PI).
However, the P2,000-across-the-board increase for the honorarium of teachers serving on election day and additional support staff for electoral board members and Department of Education Supervisor Official (DESO) in each precinct were approved for the midterm elections next year.
The poll chief added that teachers’ training on election duty for the national and local elections would also suffer due to lack of funding. The budget cut included P1.4 billion that would have gone to the training of teachers and other related expenses like venue rental, food, and transportation, while the remaining funds are for forms and supplies for voter education.
Garcia has since appealed for the restoration of the budget cut for the 2025 BSKE.
