Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 24) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said it is ready to hold simultaneous elections for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials as well as delegates to the proposed constitutional convention.
“We are so prepared na isabay ang (to hold the) barangay and SK elections simultaneously with the election for the delegates for the constitutional convention,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
The House of Representatives on March 14 approved on third and final reading House Bill 7352 that will implement the constitutional convention to amend the charter.
The election of delegates will coincide with village-level polls.
If this will push through, Garcia said the government will be able to save since this will only need ₱3.8 billion more versus ₱11 billion to ₱12 billion if the election for the delegates will be held separately.
The same number of electoral board members and ballot boxes will also be used, he noted.
Additional costs will only be incurred for the printing of 67 million ballots and raising the honoraria of the electoral board members and other support staff.
While lawmakers have yet to settle on that matter, Garcia said Comelec is ready for the barangay and SK elections in October.
The Comelec is expecting 92 million voters for the polls.
