The proposed 2023 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was approved by the Senate finance subcommittee on Thursday.
Senator Imee Marcos presided over the subpanel and moved to recommend the Comelec’s budget to the plenary. Senator Jinggoy Estrada seconded the motion.
Comelec chairperson George Garcia said they reduced their budget request for the barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan elections (BSKE) to P2.765 billion.
“Thank you very much to the subcommittee. We were able to reduce the amount that we’ll be needing for the barangay and SK elections. We will be needing an additional P2.765 billion instead of the original P10 billion,” Garcia said.
The Comelec previously said it requires a P10-billion budget increase if the BSKE elections are moved to 2023.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier signed into law the bill postponing the BSKE from December 2022 to October 2023.
— Ronald Espartinez