Recall election proceedings suspended by Comelec

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended proceedings on petitions for election recalls. In a resolution signed Friday, the Comelec cited the lack of funds for the conduct of recall and special elections as the reason for the suspension of hearings regarding petitions for recall. The resolution states that pending recall hearings have also been suspended. According to the Comelec, they only have P5 million available for recall elections. It did not, however, disclose how much money is needed for the recall elections to push through. The suspension will be lifted once the budget for recall elections has been appropriated to the Comelec. "All we can do is to receive the petitions but we cannot act on them because we have no money," said Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento in an interview. He added that it would be better for the Comelec to receive money for elections in a lump sum rather than asking for money from the Department of Budget and Management every time a recall election is called. Comelec chairman Jose A. R. Melo has said that that money for recall elections can only be coursed through the poll body and not through the local government units or provinces. Mr. Sarmiento said that there is a deadline for all recall petitions. "[The groups that want to file recall petitions] have only until May 2009 or one year before the end of the governor or mayor’s term [to do so]," he said. Pending recall petitions currently in the Comelec include the complaint against Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio. Hearings on the complaint have been suspended with the signing of the resolution. — Emilia Narni J. David, BusinessWorld