Comelec seeks P3.19-B budget for modernization

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has asked Congress for a P3.19-billion budget for next year to finance the electoral modernization program, absentee voting, and other necessary expenses.

Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said the poll body needs P348,296,000 for regular operations, P1,650,000,000 to modernize the electoral system, P1,000,000,000 for absentee voting, P190,605,000 for preparatory expenses for 2004, and 7,831,000 for honoraria of the elections registration board.

However, Borra said the Comelec might not have enough funds to finance its operations even if Congress grants next year’s proposed P3,196,732,000 budget.

Borra said Congress has authorized the poll body to hold talks for "concessional loans" with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Land Bank of the Philippines and other financial institutions.

"With congressional imprimatur, we will pursue this," he said. "The amount will depend on the final agreement on the loan. There is still a possibility of needing a loan from banks even with congressional approval of the budget."

Borra said it was suggested that Comelec commissioners sit down with members of the House of Representatives appropriations committee to work things out.

"It is really admitted that the Comelec lacks money," he said. "If it is for a10-year period concessional loan, then the yearly amortization of the loan will be included in the appropriations of the Comelec for 10 years."

Borra said the Comelec has set up a committee comprised of Commissioners Rufino Javier and Florentino Tuason to negotiate with the DBP.

"The Comelec also plans to look into the financial environment, what would be beneficial and advantageous to the commission, and this is what the committee with pursue," he said.

Meanwhile, Borra said information technology experts are needed in the poll body to man a new department that would implement the electoral modernization program.

"We created the Information Technology Department, under Republic Act 8436, a big department, in order to implement the modernization program of the commission," he said.

Borra said IT experts would be hired as permanent employees as part of the poll body’s reorganization as mandated under the law.

"There are those who have applied but they are under evaluation," he said.

Borra said the IT Department would be comprised of three divisions: Systems and Programs with 14 personnel, Systems Operations also with 14 personnel, and Methods and Procedure with 10.

"We are in the process of recruitment," he said. "By next year we will be loaded with activities. The IT experts will partly be trainers during the modernization program, for the transfer of technology."

Borra said the IT Department is different from the Management Information Systems (MIS) under Director Ester Roxas, which handles statistical records of registered voters.

"MIS will only be handling the statistical records of the commission in terms of numbers of registered voters, voters who actually voted and checking progression," he said.

"But the IT Department is really the one which will manage the modernization program of the Comelec. This is a very critical department."

Roxas is presently handling the IT Department, whose creation has already been approved by the commission en banc, Borra added.