Sen. Franklin Drilon  yesterday said he sees no reason for  Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes to resign  from his  post if the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will insist on slashing the poll body’s proposed budget for 2013, an election year in the country.
Other senators likewise censured Brillantes’ pronouncements  over the possibility of reverting back to the manual system of  vote counting in light of the  budget cut because a computerized polling system is mandated by law.
“We (Congress) cannot react on the basis of threats. We will review their budget and see why there is such an emotional reaction to this. This is simply the budget. We do not have to be emotional about it. We’ll sit down and see what is the needed fund,” the senator said.
Brillantes has been at a receiving end of criticisms from Drilon after he floated the possibility of “no elections” next year due to purported lack of funds.
The Comelec chair protested  DBM’s slashing of it’s proposed
P24 billion appropriation for 2013, which was initially trimmed down by the department to P13 billion before further reducing it to P8 billion.
Brillantes said  such amount would be insufficient for an automated polls.
“I will not administer a manual election. We will insist that they return to us the P5 billion,” Brillantes was quoted on saying as he pushed for the restoration of P13 billion budget.
Earlier in the day, the Comelec hoped to secure for 2013 funding higher than the P8.4 billion target budget the government set for the agency next year.
It noted budgetary constraints might also likely force the poll body to either scrap or suspend implementing two of its priority initiatives for improving future elections nationwide.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the initiatives involve computerization and strategic planning to help enhance Comelec’s operations nationwide.
”Those undertakings have the long-term goal of bringing forth better Philippine elections,” he said on the side of yesterday’s forum at Annabel’s in Quezon City.
The computerization initiatives not only involve providing computers but building up Comelec’s electronic network to help improve its work, Jimenez said.
Comelec’s strategic planning initiative covers matters ranging from streamlining the agency’s case management system to constructing its building and enhancing performance of its personnel, he said.
Jimenez cited the possible fate of both initiatives after the DBM set for Comelec a 2013 target budget that’s only one-third the poll body’s original proposed appropriation of P24 billion.
”We gave a bare bones budget only as Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes is well-known for being frugal – he won’t submit a bloated proposal,” Jimenez said.
Brillantes protested the budget cut and warned this might cause the agency to conduct anew manual polling next year.
Jimenez also said the cut will mean trimming down Comelec’s operations plan to the barest minimum.
He noted Comelec is aiming for reconsideration of the budget DBM set, saying the poll body isn’t keen on seeking a supplemental budget to meet its 2013 requirements.
Abad believes the 67 percent slash in Comelec’s budget is justified, however.
He said the 2013 target budget DBM set for Comelec will be enough to cover the poll body’s requirements that year including conduct of national and local elections.
Comelec’s savings is enough to support the target 2013 budget for this agency, he continued.
Abad reported DBM evaluated Comelec’s 2013 requirements and previously set the poll body’s total budget to P13.4 billion – enough for the poll body to conduct honest, orderly and fully automated elections that year.
DBM later adjusted that budget ceiling to P8.3 billion after studying Comelec’s Status of Allotment, Obligation and Balances as of Mar. 31, 2012, he said.
He noted SAOB revealed Comelec was able to generate P 5.2 billion in savings early this year by exercising its option in its contract with Smartmatic to buy its Precinct Count Optical Scan machines which cost only P 1.83 billion.
”In view of this development, DBM reduced Comelec’s original budget ceiling by the amount of their savings, bringing their total budget to PP8.4 billion as is now provided in the proposed 2013 National Expenditure Program,” he said in a press release issued recently.
Abad further said savings from the PCOS purchase bring Comelec’s actual budget to around P13.5 billion which is the amount required to conduct honest and peaceful elections in 2013.
He said: “Add to that the fact that they’ve generated significant savings over the last four years or so.
“And it’s clear the Comelec has the necessary means to carry out its functions - the fact that they’re a Constitutional commission with full fiscal autonomy means they’re also in the best position to enjoy and make use of these savings within the bounds of their mandate.”
Reports earlier cited Jimenez as saying Comelec is asking that its proposed budget be returned to P13 billion if this agency’s original proposed appropriation can’t be considered.
He believes Comelec’s budget issue can still be addressed.
“It’s good the budget proposal came out early - we can still resolve the problem,” he said.
Despite the budget cut, Jimenez said Comelec continues preparing for next year’s polls.
On the other hand, Both Drilon and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile emphasized that the Comelec cannot just resort to manual system of elections due to purported lack of funds.
“We cannot go back to manual. I will see to it that the budget will be adequate to provide for automated (election) because that’s the law. We cannot go back to manual,” Drilon, finance committee chair in the Senate, said.
Enrile echoed his colleague’s position saying  the Comelec will have to continue providing an automated system of elections next year by seeking remedy before Congress.
“Now, kung hindi sapat ang kanilang budget, it’s the duty of Congress to slash the budget of other departments because suffrage is very important. Electing people through a clean and honest election is more important than anything else,” he said.
“The conduct of a clean, honest and orderly election is Comelec’s obligation under the Constitution, and failure to conduct the 2013 election is a culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust,” Drilon said.
“To say that the Comelec is lacking in funding is completely not true,” he added.
Drion explained  there is no way the Comelec would run out of budget for the upcoming elections because  Congress has already provided the agency, in this year’s budget, with “sufficient” funding for the conduct of the automated national and local elections in 2013.
He stressed that of the P10.11 billion budget of the Comelec for 2012, P7 billion was allocated for the preparatory activities of the agency for the 2013 elections.
In particular, the amount should be used to purchase PCOS machines and other election materials.
But out of the P7 billion, only P1.8 billion was used for the purchase of the PCOS machines leaving a projected balance of P5.166 billion by the end of the year.
The DBM, on the other hand, determined a P13 billion budgetary requirement for the Comelec to conduct the elections, explained Drilon.
Thus, it proposed a budget of P8.383 billion, plus the P5.11 billion savings will cover all Comelec expenses in 2013 – far from what appeared to be a bloated budget proposal of Comelec amounting P24.43 billion.
“If we combine the proposed 2013 budget and the savings from the purchase of PCOS amounting P5.166 billion, it will total P13.431 billion,” Drilon said.
“So, where is the fuss now given the facts that funds are obviously available?