There may be fewer voting precincts in the 2025 mid-term elections if the proposed 2024 budget of the Commission on Elections will not be augmented by at least P5 billion.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia told the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday that the proposed budget for the Commission next year will affect the preparations for the 2025 polls and cut the number of voting precincts nationwide by around 18,000 from the 128,000 needed.

This will raise the number of voters per precinct to 1,000 from 800 in the previous polls.

“‘Yun na lang P5 billion for preparatory national and local election. Wala kaming overtime. We cannot render overtime doon sa ating present budget for the preparation. Na-sacrifice din ‘yung transport ng ating mga machine na ipapadala sa iba’t ibang parte ng ating bansa for testing. We have to test all these machines,” Garcia said.

“Dati-rati ang ating mga presinto ay 800 voters per precinct. Because of this depreciated budget, all the precincts that you will have in all your districts ay magiging 1,000 per precinct. Therefore, instead of 128,000 precincts nationwide, we will only have 110,000 precincts, para mapagkasya namin sa P27 billion na ito,” he added.

The Comelec has a proposed P27.34 billion budget for 2024 under the National Expenditure Program. This figure is P17.34 billion less than the P44.77 billion funding the Commission requested.

The proposed budget for next year also does not have provision for internet voting for overseas Filipinos, which the Comelec said will need P794.4 million.

Garcia estimates internet voting will help increase the number of voters overseas to at least 4 million.

In 2022, only around 600,000 or 39% of the 1.6 million registered overseas Filipino voters exercised their right to suffrage.

“We propose, likewise, na sana magkaroon tayo ng internet voting, as was passed by the house committee on electoral reforms, but unfortunately po the budget as sent in Congress does not contain any provision for internet voting. So ang natira sa amin sa overseas voting ay P23 million, when in fact we were supposed to spend sana sa internet voting ng mga P700 million,” Garcia told lawmakers.

“Bakit hindi natin pagkakatiwalaan ang pagboto nila using the internet, when we can verify and authenticate kung sila ‘yun because mayroon tayong biometrics nila,” he added.

The Comelec budget for voter education was also slashed by around half, according to Garcia.

Several congressmen expressed support to augment Comelec's proposed 2024 budget by at least P5 billion.

“I join the whole committee in assuring you that we will do all efforts to restore the budget of the Comelec that is truly needed… hopefully kung may pera,” Isabela 1st District Representative Antonio “Tonypet” Albano said.

The House Committee on Appropriations terminated on Monday the deliberations on Comelec's proposed budget next year.

VCMs

Garcia, meanwhile, reiterated that the 98,000 vote counting machines used in the 2016, 2019 and 2022 polls are no longer usable, and that the Comelec proposes to lease, instead of procure machines for the 2025 polls.

“We would like to set aside all the machines that we have right now. Tatlong beses na nating nagagamit ang machines, and we honestly believe na hindi na po siya magiging ganoon ang performance by 2025. Presently we own 98,000 machines. In the 2022 elections, we leased more or less 10,100 machines additional… the best strategy is to lease these machines again by 2028 or 2026 or 2025 as the case may be, pwede namin gamitin, or pwedeng mag-lease kami ng ibang machines pa,” he told lawmakers.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel asked whether technology provider Smartmatic is still allowed to participate in the bidding for the machines that will be used in the next elections, despite the increasing number of malfunctioning VCMs in the previous polls.

Smartmatic has consistently won contracts on automated election systems in the country since 2010.

“As far as the government procurement law is concerned… presently, that particular company does not fall on any of the grounds to disqualify. That’s why this company can still participate in the procurement of the Comelec… Comelec came out with very good terms of reference… wala isa mang nagsabi na naka-tailor fit ang terms of reference namin,” Garcia replied.

“Given na mayroon naman talagang naging pagkukulang ang Smartmatic sa kung ano ang expected sa kanya, may paraan po ba para ma-hold accountable manlang ang Smartmatic?” Manuel further asked.

“Mayroon pa silang retention money sa amin. Hanggang ngayon, ilang beses nang nangungulit, hindi pa namin gino-go kaagad ‘yung retention money, ‘yung release, simply because, dahil sinabi nyong perwisyo paano po base sa contract yung pag-charge ng supposed damages sa Commission on Elections. Malaki-laki pa po ang natitira sa aming amount, because we would like to exercise the highest degree of diligence before the release of these,” Garcia said.

Manuel also raised the observation of some computer experts that the transmission of several voting precinct results in the 2022 polls passed through a single private internet protocol (IP) address before it went to the transparency server. But the Comelec defended the accuracy of the election results.

“Na observe po kasi ng ating IT groups and computer experts na noong May 2022 elections, 99% of election returns in NCR transmitted by VCMs came from a single IP address. ‘Yan po ay 192.188.0.2. Same goes for majority of election returns in three provinces in Region 4A. Ang dating Mr. Chair is mayroong device with one IP address, ito ang nag-dominate ng transmissions ng ERs sa isang private network created by Smartmatic for COMELEC,” Manuel said.

“The Comelec purchased 20,300 modems. Bakit nasa Manila at mga kalapit na lugar? Kasi sa ating strategy, kapag magde-deliver tayo ng election paraphernalia, mas nauuna ang malayo kesa malapit… May problema po ba doon? Is that legal? Wala pong provision sa RA 9369 na nagbabawal… ng single gateway. Hindi po bawal ‘yun, standard ‘yun… Walang isa man sa 107,000 precincts sa buong Pilipinas ang nagpapakita ng kahit isang election return na hindi tumugma ang result,” Garcia told the lawmaker.

2023 BSKE

Comelec committed to resolve the disqualification cases, including those involving alleged nuisance candidates, before the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

Nearly 300 individuals, meanwhile, were arrested for violating the election period gun ban, which began last August 28 and will stay in effect until November 29, according to Garcia. The Comelec has issued less than 2,000 certificates of authority or gun ban exemptions.

“All law enforcement authorities, more importantly the PNP, see to it na they are just limited to plain view, visual searches, hindi pinabababa ang mga tao, at hindi rin pinabubuksan ang trunks,” Garcia said.

Beginning October 20, barangays will also prohibited to provide some social services, but those in calamity-stricken areas are exempted from the ban.

“Nakalagay sa aming Comelec resolution na under Section 8, na prohibited ang AICS mula October 20 to October 30… except financial assistance in relation to transportation, food, medicine, burial and such other matters which financial assistance are necessary,” Garcia said.

PROFILING

The commission will also look into reports of alleged efforts to profile candidates in the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan polls, noting that it is a “no-no”.

Garcia issued the statement after Manuel asked whether the Philippine National Police and the National Youth Commission coordinated initiatives to determine alleged recruiters for the Communist Party of the Philippines among the SK candidates. Garcia said the Comelec did not receive any coordination regarding this.

“Okay lang ‘yun na may ganoong nangyayaring profiling sa hanay ng ating SK candidates?” Manuel asked.

“‘Yung profiling, that’s a no-no in an election. Hindi po natin papayagan ‘yan kung ‘yan ay manghihingi sa atin ng permission, because everybody deserves an equal chance in accordance with the constitution, the right to vote and the right to be voted upon,” Garcia replied.