Drilon seeks to reinstate P500M Comelec budget

Senate President Franklin Drilon
(Photo from Facebook)

MANILA—A day after the Senate deducted P500 million from the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) funds for the transmission of election results in 2016, Senate President Franklin Drilon seeks to reinstate the amount in the Comelec’s budget.

In Wednesday, Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate committee on finance deducted the P500 million additional funds of the Comelec as it already had P557.6 million in the 2016 national budget.

Andres Bautista, chairman of Comelec sent a letter to Senate President Franklin Drilon and appealed the decision of the committee on finance. In the letter, Bautista said that the P500 million increase in budget would be used to improve the transmission rate of poll results. The transmission rate in the 2010 election was 90 percent and went down to 76.35 in 2013.

Bautista noted that budget increase would be needed as the number of clustered precincts and satellite devices for the 2016 polls have increased.

“The key is with more satellites, the greater chances of transmission because there are many areas in the country that have no signal. With P558 million, the number of satellite devices is around 4,000. To improve this we need to double this,” Bautista was quoted as saying in a Philippine Star report.

Seeing merit to Bautista’s argument, Drilon will reinstate the P500 million Comelec fund increase in his amendment in the national budget.

A day after the Senate deducted P500 million from the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) funds for the transmission of election results in 2016, Senate President Franklin Drilon seeks to reinstate the amount in the Comelec’s budget.

In Wednesday, Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate committee on finance deducted the P500 million additional funds of the Comelec as it already had P557.6 million in the 2016 national budget.

Andres Bautista, chairman of Comelec sent a letter to Senate President Franklin Drilon and appealed the decision of the committee on finance. In the letter, Bautista said that the P500 million increase in budget would be used to improve the transmission rate of poll results. The transmission rate in the 2010 election was 90 percent and went down to 76.35 in 2013.

Bautista noted that budget increase would be needed as the number of clustered precincts and satellite devices for the 2016 polls have increased.

“The key is with more satellites, the greater chances of transmission because there are many areas in the country that have no signal. With P558 million, the number of satellite devices is around 4,000. To improve this we need to double this,” Bautista was quoted as saying in a Philippine Star report.

Seeing merit to Bautista’s argument, Drilon will reinstate the P500 million Comelec fund increase in his amendment in the national budget.