The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has said it would need to scrounge around for P70-P75 million to fund a December 2023 special election for the seat vacated with the expulsion of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr.
Meanwhile, Sen. Robinhood Padilla said the 2025 elections “hold the key to much-needed reforms in governance.”
“We will be needing P70 million to P75 million, and that would have to come from our existing budget of the Commission,” Comelec chairman George Garcia said in an ANC interview.
“There is no special and supplemental budget for this purpose, so until today… we are trying to find the necessary budget to finance that special election,” Garcia said.
According to him, while the Comelec can find ways to fund the Negros Oriental special elections, the poll body would need financial support for the honoraria or compensation of the electoral board members, teachers, and other personnel who would render election service.
“The Comelec will definitely, at all costs, find a way by which we can conduct the special elections (in Negros Oriental) as this is mandated by the Constitution and a directive of the House (of Representatives). It will be hard to explain that we cannot hold the election just because of lack of funds,” Garcia stressed.
“We have fiscal autonomy. Comelec can find solutions in terms of resources. We have excess paper ballots and paper so we won’t be needing much printing of ballots and election paraphernalia. But the problem is the honoraria of the electoral board members. That cannot be compromised. If we give this amount [of compensation] for the barangay and SK polls, it cannot be lower than that [for Negros Oriental polls],” Garcia said.
Congress voted on August 16 to expel Teves, who was Negros Oriental’s third district representative, for disorderly conduct and continued absence despite an expired travel authority.
The House on Tuesday-August 22 approved a resolution calling on the Comelec to hold special elections to fill the seat vacated by Teves.
Padilla expressed beliefs that lawmakers to be elected in the 2025 elections will support the needed amendments to the Constitution to allow the entry of foreign investments as well as the more efficient operation of the government.
“I hope that in 2025, Filipinos intend to vote for candidates who may not be famous but believe that the form of government must change,” he said.
He cited the need for only one house in Congress to cut costs, pass laws more quickly, and allow the entry of foreign investors,” said Padilla.
The senator, chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, has been advocating reforms in the 1987 Constitution.
“Why do we need foreign investors? So we need not go abroad to work. Foreign investors will bring jobs that we need,” he added.
According to Padilla, the Philippines needs to bring in foreign investors like what Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia have done. Otherwise, he said Cambodia may threaten to surpass the Philippines in terms of economic growth.
He also pointed out that the current system of government can serve taxpayers better if the two houses of Congress – the Senate and House of Representatives – become one.
Besides, he said this was in line with the wishes of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to have rightsizing in government.
“Rightsizing means government has to be wise in making do with less,” he said
“We must not spend too much taxpayers’ money. Right now we are doing that because we have both senators and congressmen,” he said.
Padilla likewise pointed out he cannot advocate for amendments to the Constitution on his own, and he needs allies who share his beliefs in improving the system of government.
In the meantime, Padilla urged the public to support the TESDA, which he said was doing its part to address poverty. He said TESDA programs provide jobs to Filipinos, including some 1.8 million TESDA scholars.
“We must embrace the programs offered by TESDA. “ he said.