MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is already preparing for the scheduled special election in the lone district of Dasmariñas City despite unresolved funding, while aggressively pursuing cost-saving measures to trim the ₱191-million budget and meet a critical end-of-June funding deadline.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia on Thursday said the poll body is still searching for ways to finance the elections and is exploring measures to reduce the projected budget of ₱191 million.
The special congressional election will be held on August 29 to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga following his expulsion from the House of Representatives.
Garcia disclosed that Comelec is looking at possible assistance from the local government of Dasmariñas City, although he acknowledged that any support extended may not be enough to fully cover the funding requirements.
To bring down costs, election officials have begun identifying and recovering materials from previous elections that can still be reused. Among the items already being gathered are stocks of indelible ink and various election supplies that remain serviceable.
Garcia added that some previously used election forms and documents may also be utilized again, requiring only minor modifications for the upcoming polls.
“The most important thing is that the votes are cast and the winners are proclaimed based on the ballots that are counted,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty over funding, Comelec has already started preliminary preparations, noting that expenditures remain relatively low at this stage.
The major costs, Garcia explained, will begin once the commission starts printing official ballots and election paraphernalia that cannot be recycled, such as election returns and other mandatory documents.
