Groups seek P10-B additional budget for Comelec for safe, fair 2022 polls

Over 2,000 groups are urging for additional funds of P10 billion in the Commission on Elections' budget to equip the poll body in creating a virus-proof election for Filipinos in 2022.

"The estimate is based on international best practices, and the estimated cost the government needed to ensure the safe conduct of the Palawan plebiscite in March," read the unity statement shared by GMA News Reporter Tina Panganiban Perez.

Preventing politicking must also be a goal in the 2022 elections amid the pandemic, the groups said.

"There is a need to curb expected rise in vote buying due to the country's economic conditions. It will also be critical not to politicize impending access to vaccines by making them fairly available to all based on identified needs and criteria," the group said.

The government must also enforce awareness campaigns on health protocols, the groups said.

There should also be "accessible and reliable information" on safety measures for election day, and form effective campaigns against disinformation and misinformation, the organizations further pointed out.

Groups also urged that political campaigns should be safe and fair, adding that campaign spending and its candidates should be accountable.

The unity statement calling for safe and free 2022 elections was crafted by a coalition of civil society organizations, youth groups and sectoral leaders.

"We pledge to support COMELEC and other democratic stakeholders to consistently implement protocols that will ensure the success of May 2022 elections," read the statement.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News