Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 9) — A lawmaker on Tuesday said the bicameral conference committee increased the allocation for the “Conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes and plebiscites” under the 2024 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“The charter change rampage has a surfeit of funds,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said in a statement.
He said that under the 2024 budget, ₱14 billion was allocated for the ‘Conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes and plebiscites.” Of this amount ₱12 billion “was inserted by the bicameral conference committee under the budget of the Commission of Elections.”
Lagman noted this was a surge from only ₱2 billion last year and was even bigger than the annual budget for various departments, like the Migrant Workers (₱9 billion), Trade (₱8 billion), and Tourism (₱3 billion).
Earlier, the lawmaker claimed that Ako Bicol coordinators on Jan. 5 released funds for a ₱100/voter campaign to change the charter via people’s initiative. This is to support a new Constitutional provision that would allow the House and Senate to vote jointly, instead of separately, in amending the Constitution.
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Lagman showed documents that were allegedly distributed to mayors to gather the names of petitioners.
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Former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., Party List Representative Raul Angelo Bongalon and Polangui, Albay Mayor Raymond Adrian Salceda have denied the allegation.
House budget chairman claps back
House Appropriations Committee chairman and Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co clapped back at Lagman, labeling as false his claim that ₱12 billion was added to the Comelec’s budget to finance Charter change.
“Comelec Chairman George Garcia personally appealed during the budget hearing in Congress to restore their budget,” Co said in a statement issued late Tuesday afternoon.
The poll body’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, Co said.
“Congressman [Joseph Steven] Caraps Paduano, who presided over that meeting, attests that such request was approved by the committee and reflected in the minutes.” he said. “Was Congressman Lagman sleeping on the job that he missed it?”
Co added that only the Comelec’s ₱14 billion budget was approved and not the entire ₱19.4 billion that was first cut from it, disclosing that the ₱5.4 billion balance was included under unprogrammed funds for future funding.
He said that Lagman “maliciously” made it appear as if the bicameral conference committee added ₱12 billion to the Comelec’s budget on a whim, adding that this was “another one of his wild and irresponsible accusations.”
Comelec had a need for special election funds in order to supervise polls to replace lawmakers who were removed or who died in office, or to conduct special referendum, Co explained.
The budget panel chairman then dared the opposition lawmaker to prove how the Comelec’s ₱14 billion budget would be used to finance Charter change.
“Is Congressman Lagman saying that Comelec commissioners would use those funds for Charter change?” Co said. “If he can’t prove it, then he better shut up.”
Such change would give the 315-member House the upper hand over the 24-member Senate, which has resisted previous attempts to amend the charter.
