Manila, Philippines – Iginiit ng Commision on Elections (COMELEC) na hindi sasapat ang hawak nilang P1.9 billion na pondo para sa honoraria ng mga gurong magsisilbi sa darating na halalan.

Aminado ang COMELEC na hindi madaling solusyon ang paggamit ng contingency fund ng pamahalaan upang punan ang kulang sa pondo.

“…some solution have floated including to the recourse of the contingency fund. We’re studying that process, kasi obviously it’s not a simple matter of calling someone and say ‘hoy, pahingi pera.’ There has to be process to be followed for that, it might take some time on its own,” ani Dir. James Jimenez, spokesperson ng COMELEC.

Umaapela pa rin ang COMELEC sa Bicameral Conference Committee, na ibalik ang kanilang hinihinging P3.2 billion na pondo para sa honoraria ng mga guro.

“This is not to say that we are giving up on our matter to Congress to please pass the budget. Again, it is very important that the teachers are given what is due them. And the process for giving them what is due them follows the regular course of things, which is to say, a budget properly passed,” dagdag pa ni Jimenez.

Samantala, ipinahayag ni Sen. Koko Pimentel III na walang magiging problema sa budget ng poll body sakaling magkaroon ng reenacted budget.
Sakaling hindi naman reenacted ang 2019 national budget, tiyak na may mailalaan umanong pondo para sa honoraria ng mga gurong boluntaryong magsisilbi sa halalan.

“It is for the conduct of elections, ‘yun ‘yung line. So I think, the COMELEC chairman and the en banc are both empowered to fill up the details, basta the money will be there, it’s more than enough,” paninigurado ni Sen. Pimentel III, Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation chairman.

(Aiko Miguel | UNTV News)

Tags: 2019 elections, COMELEC, Commission on Elections (COMELEC)