Comelec bucks multi-day Eleksyon 2022 due to constitutional restraints, lack of budget

Commission on Elections chairman Sheriff Abas has turned down the proposal to conduct a multi-day 2022 national and local elections, citing lack of time to amend the 1987 Constitution and budgetary constraints.

Interview on ANC on Thursday, Abas explained that the Constitution must be amended before the country can conduct the 2022 polls for several days.

“If they will amend it, wala na din silang oras [there is no sufficient time] because to amend a constitutional provision takes a lot of debate and a lot of time,” Abas said.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the national and local elections must be held every second Monday of May.

Apart from the constitutional restraint, the government might need to augment the Comelec’s budget for a multi-day conduct of elections.

“If they will amend it, they have to double our budget because hindi pwede na ang bayad mo sa teacher ay pang-isang araw lang. Kami, default na, inaalis na namin ‘yung ganoon sa aming preparation,”  he said.

(We cannot push for it if our budget is limited for the one day compensation for our teachers. That’s why we decided that it’s already the default. We removed that possibility in our preparations.)

It was vaccine czar and chief implementer of National Task Force against COVID-19 who proposed the conduct of a multi-day elections in 2022 to avoid potential superspreader events.

Senators, however, are divided on such proposal.

Extended voting hours

As the Comelec is set to hold a single day elections next year, Abas said the en banc is inclined to extend the voting hours for voters who will not be able to vote due to the limitations brought about by the health crisis.

“If that will be the case there is really a need to extend the voting hours. So mag-aadjust tayo sa voting hours para at least hindi magsisiksian sa mga eskwelahan,” the Comelec chairman said.

(So we will adjust the voting hours so that they will not flock inside the schools.)

“Titingnan natin ang flow ng botante on that day because the en banc can decide immediately, kung maraming di nakaboto dahil sa [limitations due to the] pandemic pwede tayo mag-extend ng isang oras, dalawang oras, tatlong oras,” he added.

(We will also look at the flow of the voters on that day because the en banc can decide immediately if there are individuals who won’t be able t vote because of the [limitations due to the] pandemic, we can extend it by one, two, or three hours.)

The national and local polls is set on May 9, 2022 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Abas said.

Moreover, Abas said the poll body is no longer considering the possibility of implementing a a 600 voters per vote counting machine (VCM) ratio in Eleksyon 2022 despite the health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citing lack of material time and a short budget for the 2022 elections, Abas said they will only push for the 800 per vote counting machine ration in next year’s polls.

Currently, there are around 97,000 VCMs which will cater to 1,000 voters.

The Comelec is currently adjusting its bidding process to lease for additional 10,000 VCMs to bring down the ratio to 800 voters per machine. Each VCM is equal to one clustered precinct.

“‘On the 10,000, I think we can source it out. Maybe, we will increase the budget so that we could bring down the clustered precinct. However, yung sinasabi nilang pang-600 [voters] plus P8 billion [budget], wala sa [proposed] budget namin ‘yon,” Abas said.

(However, on the 600 per VCM proposal, which would need additional P8 billion, that is not included in our proposed budget.)

“So kung halimbawang may ganoong proposal, hahanapan pa namin, magre-request pa rin kami sa Congress. Now it is in the part of the Senate and Congress na kung dagdagan nila but definitely, wala kaming line item for P8 billion additional to bring it to 600 voters per precinct,” he aded.

(For example, there is a proposal for that, we will request it from Congress. Now it is in the part of the Senate and Congress if they will give additional funding, but definitely, we don’t have a line item for the P8 billion additional budget to bring it to 600 voters per precinct.)

Abas said the P8 billion will cover all expenses such as the manpower, the cost of the VCM, among others.

“So pag mas maraming clustered precincts, mas marami kang babayarang teachers, babayarang support staff at marami kang ili-lease na makina. So, finactor in na nila ‘yung ganon karaming machine,” he said.

(If there are more clustered precincts, more budget will be needed for the compensation of the teachers, the support staff, and the lease of the machines. So we factored in all of these.)

On Wednesday, Poll commissioner Marlon Casquejo said they will need around P8 billion additional budget next year to reduce the number of registered voters per clustered precinct during the 2022 national and local elections.

Last week, the Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) declared a failure of bidding for the lease of additional 10,000 VCMs for next year’s polls due to the non-participation of the lone bidder.

Smartmatic, the lone bidder, did not submit a bidding proposal due to insufficient  approved budget for the contract (ABC).

Furthermore, Abas said for the Comelec to achieve the 600 voters per clustered precinct ration, additional of 32,000 VCMs are needed.

If they will push this ratio for next year’s elections, Abas said the VCM provider might not be able to produce the said number of machines needed especially now that the logistics are limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Isang problema din natin kasi gahol na tayo sa oras. So una, budget medyo kulang tayo sa budget. Additionaly, yung time, kasi i-aassemble pa nila yan, yung parts galing pa sa labas [ng bansa] then they will assemble sa  Philippines. Medyo gahol na sa oras,” he said.

(One of the problems is that we are running out of time. First, the budget limitations. Additionally, the supplier will need time to assemble the additional machines and the parts for these will be imported to the Philippines. So we really lack time.)

“Pero yung 800 [voters] per machine okay na yon..kayang kaya na yon,” Abas assured.

(For now, the 800 [voters] per machine ratio will be implemented. We can work with that number.) — RSJ, GMA News