₱12-B ‘malevolently’ inserted in 2024 budget not requested by Comelec — Lagman

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 10) — Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Tuesday said the ₱12 billion increase in the 2024 national budget allegedly allocated for charter change plebiscites was not requested by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“The Comelec, through Chairman George Garcia, did not request for the ₱12 billion augmentation for the subject activities, including the plebiscites for charter change,” Lagman said.

This was after House Appropriations Committee chairman Rep. Elizaldy Co argued that Garcia personally appealed during a budget hearing in Congress to restore their budget.

Co said the Comelec’s proposed budget of ₱19.4 billion was cut by ₱17.4 billion, down to just ₱2 billion in the National Expenditure Program before it was submitted to Congress.

He added that the clamor is just one of Lagman’s “wild and irresponsible accusations.”

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But the opposition lawmaker insisted that the excessive amount allocated under “Conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes and plebiscites” was for the government’s charter change initiative.

To support his claim, Lagman said he asked Garcia as to whether he requested a huge increase on Comelec’s budget during the bicameral conference committee. The latter denied this.

“Hindi. Kaya lang doon sa president’s budget tinanggalan kami ng ₱17.4 billion kaya binalik lang ung tinanggal na paulit ulit naming sinasabi sa budget hearing na sana maibalik. Kaya kulang pa ng ₱5.4 billion,” Garcia responded, as shared by Lagman in a statement.

[Translation: No. It’s just that in the president’s budget, ₱17.4 billion was deducted from us, so we just returned what was removed, which we repeatedly said in the budget hearing that we hope it will be returned. But it is still short by ₱5.4 billion.]

“What Chairman Garcia requested to be restored was inadequately given back to the Comelec and what was inserted was for the subject exorbitant augmentation, which he did not request,” Lagman explained.

Lagman then urged Co to admit the “furtive and malevolent” insertion of the ₱12 billion in Comelec’s budget made by the bicameral conference committee.