The government will spend about P21 million for the conduct of special elections in some municipalities in the Visayas and Mindanao on Thursday.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo said they would get the funds from the commission’s regular budget. “Sa pondo ng Comelec... wala ng iba (No one else will shoulder the bill except us)," he said.
Of this amount, P16 million will go to Smartmatic-TIM for the use of its Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, according to Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento.
"The contract with Smartmatic for the use of the machines is good for 10 days. So after May 20, they have to be retrieved. Then there should be another payment for the special elections," Sarmiento told reporters in Filipino Wednesday.
The P16 million will cover the payment for the technical personnel and delivery of the machines to the affected provinces, namely Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Western Samar, and Saranggani.
Municipalities and villages where special elections will be held are Lumba Bayabao, Lumbaca Unayan, Marogong, Masiu, Sultan Domalondong, Tubaran, and Bayang in Lanao del Sur; barangays Danapah, Kailih, Bato-Bato, Apil-Apil, Bucalao, Sangkahan, Cambug, and Look Bisaya in Al Barka, and barangays Upper and Lower Mahaybahay in Maluso, both in Basilan; Brgy. Buenas Aires in Pagsangjan, Western Samar; and barangay Poblacion in Gian, Saranggani.
About 80,256 votes are expected to be cast during Thursday’s special elections, according to Melo.
Election inspectors
Sarmiento said the P21-million budget would also cover the honorarium of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) and the cost of the transportation of personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In Lanao del Sur, PNP trainees would serve as BEIs after teachers refused the assignment due to fear.
“Kung anong tinatanggap ng BEI tatanggapain din nila (They will be paid the same amount as the teachers who served as BEIs )," Sarmiento said.
The teachers who served as BEIs in the May 10 automated elections received P4,800 as honorarium.
Sarmiento said they had informed the teachers who were supposed to serve in the elections that they would be replaced by police trainees due to security concerns.
The Comelec is expected to pay Smartmatic-TIM a separate P7.2 billion for automating the May 10 polls. Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal had earlier said that only 20 to 30 percent of the automation contract remains unpaid.
The poll body will also be paying the supplier another P243 million to produce and supply the ballot boxes.
All systems go
Melo said everything is all set for the special elections. He said they would use the PCOS units that were earlier allotted for the areas. The machines will also be tested and sealed prior to the elections.
Sarmiento, meanwhile, asked the people in the provinces to immediately inform the Comelec of any anomaly that may occur during the special polls. He also asked them to avoid any violence during the conduct of the elections.
“We have deployed PNP and AFP to provide the security. We cannot afford another special elections dahil magastos po (because it is too costly)," he said.
Melo said that the results of the special polls would only affect the local and party-list elections.
Meanwhile, the Comelec has yet to decide on other petitions to conduct special elections in some provinces, including Abra and Cordillera. — KBK/RSJ
