Realigning the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s budget for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to agencies outside the Comelec may be unconstitutional, but a constitutional path exists to channel the funds for crisis response, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Monday.
Lacson thus allayed the concerns of Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on proposals to postpone the BSKE and use some P16 billion in unspent funds allocated to it to address the fuel crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
“What the Chairman says is true. Funds allocated to the Comelec cannot be realigned to items outside it because that would be unconstitutional. But the allocations can still be treated as savings – Comelec may opt not to spend the funds for the BSKE and declare them as savings to be returned to the Treasury,” he said.
In Filipino: Lacson, Itinuro ang Konstitusyunal na Paraan Para sa BSKE Funds sa Gitna ng Pangamba ng Comelec
Garcia earlier said in an interview on DZBB radio Monday that out of some P19 billion allocated for the BSKE under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), some P3 billion had been spent for preparations.
He said that while Congress has the power to postpone the BSKE anew, the Constitution bars the realignment of funds outside the Comelec – but after being informed of Lacson’s response, Garcia voiced his agreement.
“Yes po, yun talaga ang tama at tama po si Senator Ping Lacson. Kapag sa amin … yung lahat ng savings namin, pwede naman namin maibalik yun o hindi natin gagastusin. So yung siguro ang isang strategy na pwede nila pag-isipan kung saka-sakali ng ating Kongreso, hindi ililipat pero hindi halimbawa itutuloy ang halalan, hindi namin gagastusin ang pondong nasa DBM pa (Yes, that is the correct approach and Sen. Lacson is right. As a constitutional body, we can return unspent funds as savings. That could be a strategy for Congress to consider – rather than transferring the funds, the elections may not proceed and the allocated budget would not be spent),” he said.
“At the same time pagka po ito ay hindi nagamit, savings na po yan and therefore maibalik po yan sa ating treasury at therefore magagamit maaari sa ibang pagkakagamitan pag natapos na po itong date kung dapat kung saan gagawin dapat ang ating halalan (If the funds are not used, they become savings and can be returned to the Treasury, and be made available for other purposes),” he added.
The BSKE, originally scheduled for Dec. 1, 2025, had been moved to Nov. 2 this year. Some lawmakers are pushing to postpone the BSKE anew due to the ongoing fuel crisis.
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Lacson, Itinuro ang Konstitusyunal na Paraan Para sa BSKE Funds sa Gitna ng Pangamba ng Comelec
Maaaring labag sa Saligang Batas ang pag-realign ng badyet ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) para sa Barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) patungo sa mga ahensiyang nasa labas ng Comelec, nguni’t may paraang konstitusyunal para maipatungo ang nasabing pondo para sa pagtugon sa krisis, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Lunes.
Pinawi ni Lacson ang pangamba ni Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia hinggil sa mga panukalang ipagpaliban ang BSKE at gamitin ang tinatayang P16 bilyong hindi pa nagagastos na pondo nito upang tugunan ang krisis sa langis na dulot ng sigalot sa Middle East.
“What the Chairman says is true. Funds allocated to the Comelec cannot be realigned to items outside it because that would be unconstitutional. But the allocations can still be treated as savings – Comelec may opt not to spend the funds for the BSKE and declare them as savings to be returned to the Treasury,” he said.
Nauna nang sinabi ni Garcia sa panayam sa DZBB radio nitong Lunes na sa humigit-kumulang P19 bilyong inilaan para sa BSKE sa ilalim ng 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), nasa P3 bilyon na ang nagastos para sa paghahanda.
Aniya, bagama’t may kapangyarihan ang Kongreso na muling ipagpaliban ang BSKE, ipinagbabawal ng Konstitusyon ang pag-realign ng pondo ng Comelec patungo sa ibang ahensiya — subalit matapos ipabatid sa kanya ang tugon ni Lacson, sumang-ayon si Garcia dito.
“Yes po, yun talaga ang tama at tama po si Senator Ping Lacson. Kapag sa amin … yung lahat ng savings namin, pwede naman namin maibalik yun o hindi natin gagastusin. So yung siguro ang isang strategy na pwede nila pag-isipan kung saka-sakali ng ating Kongreso, hindi ililipat pero hindi halimbawa itutuloy ang halalan, hindi namin gagastusin ang pondong nasa DBM pa,” aniya.
“At the same time pagka po ito ay hindi nagamit, savings na po yan and therefore maibalik po yan sa ating treasury at therefore magagamit maaari sa ibang pagkakagamitan pag natapos na po itong date kung dapat kung saan gagawin dapat ang ating halalan,” he added.
Ang BSKE, na orihinal na itinakda noong Disyembre 1, 2025, ay inilipat sa Nobyembre 2 ngayong taon. Nagtutulak ang ilang mambabatas ng panibagong pagpapaliban nito dahil sa nagpapatuloy na krisis sa langis.
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