00:00 In preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30,
00:05 the Commission on Elections received an additional 2.5 billion peso fund over the last few months,
00:12 a billion peso each in February and March, and over half a billion peso in June.
00:18 Thursday's Senate hearing showed this came from the contingent or standby fund of the Office of the President.
00:25 For the Barangay and SK elections, it came from the contingent fund.
00:31 What happened here? How come we failed to plan for this?
00:35 No, Madam Chair, Your Honor, simply because when we reset the elections, supposedly scheduled by December 5,
00:43 we were saying at that time that we would be needing additional budget.
00:47 ComElect Chairman George Garcia says,
00:49 "As with the postponement of elections became a law in October 2022, the budget for next year was near approval.
00:56 But in January, 1.5 million more voters registered,
01:01 meaning this would require more teachers to serve as poll workers,
01:05 more ballots, ballot boxes, indelible ink, and other election paraphernalia.
01:11 ComElect appealed to Congress for an additional 3.5 billion pesos.
01:16 The budget department released 2.5 billion pesos.
01:20 We are thankful that this help came,
01:23 because if not, many of our countrymen may not be able to vote.
01:27 We may reach 600 percent.
01:30 The voters are poor, the teachers are poor. It's that hard.
01:33 But for Senate Minority Leader Coco Pimentel, it was wrong that the fund came from the Office of the President.
01:39 But the President's sister sees nothing wrong with it.
01:43 I suppose it could be likened to a sudden requirement for funding.
01:48 But ComElect clarifies it did not request funding from Malacanang but from Congress.
01:54 We did not ask for it because it's important.
01:57 We have advice that we will add to our fund.
02:00 Our presumption is because of our request from Congress.
02:05 The poll body maintains its independence, saying it will never be influenced by politicians.
02:12 If you look at ComElect, all the candidates we sent to Congress and the Senate,
02:17 they are all candidates.
02:19 But are we beholden to them?
02:21 Last year, the Office of the President transferred a P125 million confidential fund to the Office of the Vice President.
02:29 Malacanang says the law allows the chief executive to release funds for new or urgent activities of national government agencies.
02:38 Amor Santos, CNN, Philippines.
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