PATIKUL, Sulu — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will decide the necessity for added finances for the conduct of the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) from Congress after the voter registration, Comelec chairman George Garcia mentioned Sunday.
“Nung kami ay lumapit sa kanila ay napakahirap po manghingi basta-basta ng dagdag kung hindi pa naman alam kung ilan ang magpaparehistro,” Garcia mentioned in an interview with reporters.
(It’s exhausting to ask for fund if we nonetheless do not know what number of have registered.)
“Mas maganda ngayon na after natin magparehistro tsaka po tayo pupunta sa Kongreso dahil alam na natin ngayon ilan ang nadagdag, ilan ang kailangang presinto, ilan ang kailangang guro at ilan yung election paraphernalia na kakailanganin dahil kapos dahil nakabase ang ating computation [ng budget] doon sa list of voters na 91 million na para sa December 5, 2022,” he added.
(It’s higher to strategy Congress after the registration interval, after we would know what number of voters have been added, what number of precincts are wanted, what number of lecturers and the way a lot election paraphernalia can be wanted, as our funds are inadequate as a result of they’re based mostly on the December 2022 record of voters of 91 million.)
Voter registration will finish on January 31.
For the supposed 2022 BSKE, the Comelec was given P8.4 billion.
Since it was rescheduled to 2023, the Comelec requested Congress for an extra finances of P10 billion, on prime of the P8.4 billion.
However, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco mentioned Congress solely allotted P2.7 billion beneath this yr’s nationwide finances.
On Saturday, Garcia mentioned they could want one other P2.7 to P3 billion for this yr if the Comelec registers over a million new voters for the 2023 BSKE.
As of January 13, the Comelec had registered 1.024 million new voters.
Garcia mentioned the regulation suspending the supposed December 5, 2022 BSKE supplies that the finances for the village polls are “subject to supplemental appropriations.”
“Ibig sabihin nakahanda ang Kongreso, ang ating Senado, at ang ating Ehekutibo na igawad sa Comelec ang dagdag na panggastos basta ipaliwanag ng kumisyon kung bakit kakailangin ang dagdag na gastos na yon,” he mentioned.
(This signifies that Congress and the Executive are prepared to offer Comelec further funds, so long as it is ready to clarify why it wants the funds.)
Should there be no supplemental finances granted by Congress to Comelec, Garcia on Saturday mentioned the honoraria for the lecturers who will work as electoral board members throughout the 2023 BSKE is not going to enhance. — BM, GMA Integrated News
