Comelec asks Congress to restore proposed 2021 budget to procure more vote-counting machines

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is asking Congress to restore the budget that has been slashed from its proposed appropriations for next year in order for them to procure more vote-counting machines and limit the number of people inside voting precincts.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez made the remark on Thursday during the House appropriations panel deliberations on the proposed 2021 budget of the commission.

During the briefing, it was revealed that the Comelec was only recommended a budget of P14.5 billion for 2021, short of around P16 billion from its original proposal of P30.6 billion

Jimenez said one of the Comelec's thrust in the 2022 elections is to make polling places safe for voters if ever the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing by that time.

"Ine-expect natin na dadami ang ating mga botante dahil year on year talaga namang tumataas yung ating list of voters. At kapag marami ang botante at nagsisiksikan sila sa isang makina, medyo unsafe yan pagdating sa sitwasyon nating pandemya ngayon," he said.

"Kaya tayo nananawagan ngayon sa Kongreso na sana ma-restore ang ating budget at makuha natin ang buong pangangailangan natin para makapagdagdag tayo ng makina," he added.

Apart from ensuring that polling places are safe, Jimenez said the Comelec is also considering other possible measures to allow the public to participate in the elections without risking their health, such as voting by mail.

"Meron tayong mga pending bill that will hopefully allow us to expand the coverage of yung alternative modes of voting natin including voting by mail," he said.

Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo has already filed a measure seeking to allow voting by mail for senior citizens.

She asked Comelec if it already has a computation of the cost that may be incurred if her proposal were to be adopted.

"As far as 2021 budget is concerned, hindi pa namin na-factor in ang voting by mail. Admittedly, if you conduct the voting by mail, there will be a corresponding financial requirement for that. Another is technical requirements," said Comelec Deputy Executive Director for Operations Teopisto Elnas.

"Alam natin na meron pang ibang pending bills which will alleviate or minimize the number of voters on election day na naka-pending ngayon sa Congress. Like the early voting for senior citizens and PWD, and hopefully kung mapasa yan, that will decongest or declog our voters who will troop into our voting places on election day," he added.

The next election is set for May 9, 2022. —KBK, GMA News