MANILA, Philippines- Matinding kinastigo muli ni Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III ang paglilipat ng halagang P2.5 bilyon mula sa contingent funds ng Office of the President sa Commissions on Elections (Comelec) para sa Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) sa pagsasabing “mali ito.”
“Since Comelec should not and cannot be beholden to anyone or any agency then it was wrong to have funded Comelec’s needs from a fund which is controlled by one person, a political person who was elected through an election conducted by the Comelec,” ayon kay Pimentel sa text message.
Sinabi ni Pimentel na dapat isinailalim sa proseso ng pagbabadyet ang paglilipat ng pondo mula sa OP tungo sa poll body.
“Better if funded through the budget by Congress because congress is a collegial deliberative body composed of the direct representatives of the people,” ayon sa senador.
“So, the funding of certain activities through the budget is the decision of the people acting thru their representatives,” dagdag niya.
Sa kabilang dako, nilinaw naman ni Comelec Chairman George Garcia na hindi alam ng poll body na nanggaling sa OP ang naturang pondo.
Sinabi ni Comelec Director Rex Laudiangco, na “personal” na ibinigay ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) sa ₱2.5 billion.
Aniya, humingi ang Comelec ng pondo sa Kongreso at hindi sa Office of the President, na nagbubura sa alegasyon na humingi sila ng P2.5 bilyon sa contingent fund ng OP.
Ipinakita ang resibo ng karagdagang pondo sa ginanap na deliberasyon ng 2024 proposed budget nitong Huwebes.
Humingi ang Comelec ng ₱44 billion budget sa susunod na taon, pero binawasan ito ng, Budget department sa ₱17.4 billion.
Umapela si Garcia na ibalik ang ₱5.7 billion “so the preparation for the national elections will not be sacrificed.”
“Di ba po dapat nga December 5, 2022 nag registration po kami,” ayon kay Garcia. “Nag-increase ang number of voters kasama SK, ngayon po 91 million kasama SK. Nag-increase din number of precincts, number of electoral board members, pati ballot boxes, saka yung overtime.” Ernie Reyes
