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‘Postponement of BSKE to 2023 will cost gov’t P9 to 10.5B more’

The postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to December 2023 will cost the Philippine government an additional P 10.5 billion for a total of P18 billion, Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist) said on Wednesday, September 21.

On the other hand, if the elections are postponed to May 2023 it will need about P9 billion more for a total of P17 billion.

He said P8 billion has been allocated for BSKE to be held in December 2022 and so far P500,000 has already been spent for the preparations of the polls.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier said if the BSKE is postponed, the Comelec would have to resume the continuing voter registration in October, which would mean more new voters and added expenses.

“That will mean additional number of ballots, indelible ink, ballpens, padlocks, equipment and teachers,” Garcia said.

The Lower House on Tuesday approved a bill postponing the BSKE from Dec. 5, 2022 to Dec. 4, 2023 but the Senate has yet to pass a similar measure.

A law postponing the BSKE needs to be approved before September 30 so the additional budget needed for it can be included in the 2023 national budget, Paduano said.

Paduano said he favors that the BSKE be held every five years for only two consecutive terms.

He said on top of the additional funds for the postponed polls the COMELEC is also asking for P9.3 billion for its new building to be released over a five-year period.*

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