BSKE PREPS. Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, presides over a public inquiry on Monday (Feb. 20, 2023) on the status of preparations for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this October. Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, Comm. Ernesto Maceda (inset), and other Comelec officials tackled the alternative modes of voting for highly vulnerable sectors. (PNA photos by Avito Dalan)
MANILA – Senators were assured on Monday by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia that their preparations for the Oct. 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) is almost complete.
"As of today, we are able to print 86.59 percent of the ballots for the regular voters and as far as the Sanggunang Kabataan, we were able to print 90.62 percent of all the ballots. We are hoping to be able to print everything, all the ballots, before the end of February," Garcia told the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation chaired by Senator Imee Marcos.
Garcia also reported that a total of 57,996,067 out of 66,973,949 barangay poll ballots have been printed.
As for the youth polls, he said a total of 21,422,300 out of 23,639,477 ballots have been printed.
The BSKE ballots that have been printed are for the following areas: Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Caraga, Soccsksargen, Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Ilocos Region.
Only the barangay ballots for two regions, Central Luzon and National Capital Region, have yet to be printed.
Meanwhile, only SK ballots from Metro Manila have yet to be printed.
Garcia, meanwhile, said they are looking to print additional official ballots in March once the Election Registration Boards (ERBs) have approved the applications submitted during the voter registration activities, which concluded last month.
"This coming March, we intend to print the ballots for the additional numbers from the recent voter registration activities," he said.
The poll body has received a total of 2,506,321 applications including new registrants, those applying for transfer of registration, reactivation among others during the resumption of voter registration period from Dec. 12, 2022 until Jan. 31, 2023.
The applications have to be approved by the Election Registration Boards (ERBs) by conducting hearings, before an applicant can be considered regular voters and youth voters.
Each city and municipality have their own ERBs, which is composed of the city/municipal election officer, a public school official, and the local civil registrar.
Of its PHP5.7 billion approved 2023 budget, the Comelec chief said PHP1.250 billion was allotted for the construction of their building which is not enough.
Garcia estimated that they will be spending more or less an additional PHP2.8 billion which will be sourced from the Commission's savings.
"We're going to still wait for the report of our field personnel for the project of the precincts. Doon po namin malalaman (We will know from there) if we're going to add precincts and/or ilan yung mga (how many) voters per precinct.
Before it was postponed, some PHP8.449 billion budget was approved for the conduct of BSKE to be conducted supposedly last December 5, 2022.
"We reserve the right to respectfully ask our Congress for additonal budget as the need arises simply because at this point, we can just estimate but we cannot particularly pinpoint how much we're going to need simply because although there [are] additional 1.6 million registered voters from December 12 to January 31, hindi pa po sina-submit ng mga tao namin from the field kasi meron pa pong (our people from the field have not submitted yet) [the final numbers] because we will still be conducting [a] registration board hearing by March," Garcia noted saying by that time, the final number of additional registered voters and voting precincts will be determined.
"That being the case, may I reiterate, request that the budget and the funding sources be submitted to this committee so that in the little time left we are able to access the funds in time as well as be clarified that no undue influence will be exercised by the local and other politicians involved," Marcos responded.
Garcia assured that the poll body will not be asking for any help from any local government unit as it is strictly prohibited except during the conduct of plebiscites.
Automated pilot testing
Responding to a House resolution filed by Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. calling for the Comelec to conduct an automated elections for BSKE, Garcia said they are planning to have a pilot testing in a barangay in Quezon City and another one in the City of Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Although the Comelec En Banc has yet to decide on its final date, the Comelec chief explained to senators that the automated BSKE in these two barangays will have a manual uploading of the results.
"Based on our time and motion study, if you're going to conduct manual elections, if we are to finish the voting by 6 p.m., we are going to complete to counting by more or less 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. If we are going to automate just like our previous experience, by 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. if the voting is to end by 6 p.m., then we will have the result already by the precinct," he added, assuring that they will prepare the highest security arrangement in the two barangays during the pilot testing.
Before the Secure Digital (SD) cards will be transmitted, Garcia also clarified that all of the candidates' representatives and watchers will have their own copies of the elections returns as it will be printed by the machines after the voting process.
In his resolution, Barzaga said he found it time consuming to do the BSKE manually especially in big barangays.
However, Garcia said they disagreed to the suggestion insisting that the Comelec cannot conduct the automated elections in the entire country.
"At this point, we have no budget and resources. We cannot procure necessary documents and materials for purposes of the BSKE. We have only 98,000 machines, presently. We will have to lease the additional machines in the event that there will be an automated BSKE," he said.
Own building
To give Comelec and its field offices the chance to have their own buildings and offices, Senator Marcos suggested to create a multi-year plan so the national government and the lawmakers can gradually allocate funds for its construction.
"Daing tayo nang daing pero yung actual plan year-on-year baka kayanin PHP1.2 [billion]. Baka kayanin ng PHP2 billion, malay mo di ba? Eh unti-unti, maisisingit natin sa (We always ask for it but maybe the actual plan year-on-year like PHP1.2 billion is feasible. Like we can do it for PHP2 billion, you'll never know, right? Gradually, we can insert it in the) GAA [General Appropriations Act]," Marcos said in which the representatives from the Department of Budget Management, who were also present in the hearing agreed.
Garcia said they have a plan in place and assured that they will submit it to the committee.
The Comelec is currently renting various buildings, including several floors at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros which caught fire in July last year.
Upon his reappointment last year, Garcia vowed to push for the creation of the office building which costs around PHP8.2 billion. (with Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
