The Commission on Election should “repurpose” the P12 billion fund initially intended for the supposed People’s Initiative plebiscite since it has already suspended all the proceedings on the matter, Senator Francis Escudero said on Wednesday.

During the public hearing into the alleged bribery and misrepresentation of the People’s Initiative signature drive by the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation on Tuesday, Escudero revealed that the funding was added “last-minute” to the Comelec’s 2024 General Appropriations Act. 

Comelec chairperson George Garcia confirmed there’s an additional P12 billion in the poll body’s annual budget. 

Escudero lamented that the fund was put in waiting for the "about-to-be-launched people's initiative” to succeed. 

“It was neither in the President's proposed budget nor in the Comelec's original submission… The budgetary version of putting the cart before the horse,” Escudero said.

“But now that the horse is dead; there is no more use for the cart… Ang importante dapat 'no touch' na 'yang pondo na 'yan. Kasi kung nandiyan pa 'yan, baka bumangon pa sa libingan itong pekeng initiative,” he added. 

Escudero said the Comelec must revisit its budget under the line item, “Conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes and plebiscites.”

The Comelec’s original funding for the particular line item was at P2,229,617,000 under the 2024 National Expenditure Program. It was then increased by P12 billion making it P14,229,617,000.

“Now that the President has taken a position against the people's initiative, and you (Comelec) are reviewing your rules, this is also an opportune time to revisit the P14 billion in your budget, realign it for the purpose of what you really need for example on capital outlays and personnel services such as the creation of positions which is well within your power to do so,” Escudero told Garcia.

In response, Garcia said they would review their budget and promised to provide a copy of the realigned appropriation to the senate panel.

Garcia said the Comelec has already intended to revisit its budget for realignment even before issuing Comelec Resolution No. 10650, suspending the proceedings for the people's initiative drive. 

“We already had in our minds the items by which this P14 billion is to be spent and definitely, all of these items that this representation is willing to submit to this committee, do not pertain to any people's initiatives or any plebiscite,” Garcia told senators. 

The Comelec originally submitted a P44.7-billion budget for 2024 to the Department of Budget and Management. 

However, the DBM only recommended P27.1 billion—the amount in the bill was reflected in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s proposed GAA which was sent to Congress.

Escudero pointed out that Comelec’s funding for personal services is short by P1.2 billion. 

He then recalled that during the budget's deliberations in the House and the Senate, the Comelec asked for the restoration of some P6 billion for what they deemed as critical undertakings.

“This includes the pilot implementation of internet voting for OFWs, and for activities that will modernize elections and make them transparent and promote ease of voting and quick counting,” he added. 

The Comelec’s budget eventually rose from the Malacanang-proposed P27.1 billion to P40.1 billion, which appeared in the Marcos' approved GAA. 

Escudero branded it increasing “for the wrong reasons.”

According to Escudero, the House members insisted during the bicameral conference that Comelec should be given an additional P12 billion to its original P2.2 billion funding “for supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes and plebiscites.”

"That P12 billion should now be repurposed and put beyond the reach of PI,” he said. 

“'Yung P2.2 billion for referendum kasya na 'yun for activities that will be held within 2024. Historically, hindi naman ganun kalaki ang ginagasta sa kakaunting plebisito para sa pagtatatag ng mga bagong munisipyo o mga cities, " he added.