The Commission on Elections will continue preparing for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on Nov. 2 despite moves to postpone it, Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said on Friday, April 17.
Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Thursday said the push to postpone the BSKE due to the current economic crisis brought on by the surge in fuel prices is gaining support.
About 95 percent of the members of the Lower House support the move and Senator Panfilo Lacson is also pushing for it in the Senate, Benitez said.
The postponement is being sought so funds for the elections can be used to aid the marginal sector suffering from the pinch caused by rising fuel prices following unrest in the Middle East, Benitez said.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said there are moves to postpone the BSKE but the commission will just continue its preparations, Ananoria said.
Ananoria said the postponement will need a law and could be questioned in the Supreme Court before it becomes final.
Meanwhile, the registration of youth voters has been picking up, he said.
The Comelec has been bringing the registration to the schools, Ananoria explained.
“The BSKE budget is PHP19 billion. Comelec has already spent PHP3 billion since we started preparing, because we have already procured some materials. The remaining PHP16 billion is still with the DBM (Department of Budget and Management), not yet with the Comelec,” Garcia said on Tuesday.
The poll body chief explained that the bulk of the budget is allocated to the honoraria of teachers who will be serving during the polls. At the same time, he assured that no government funds would be wasted in case the polls are postponed.
“After all, for example, if the 90 million ballots for BSKE are printed, Comelec will simply issue a resolution that whatever date is written on the ballot, it will still be used in the reset election. Nothing will be wasted,” Garcia said. “The new yellow ballot boxes that we’ve ordered, we will still be able to use them when the elections are held,” he added.*
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