P2.5 B needed for barangay elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for some P2.5 billion for next year’s barangay elections, up by P1 billion from the last barangay elections in 2002.

The elections, held every three years under the Local Government Code, are scheduled for the last Monday of October next year.

Comelec commissioner Resurreccion Borra could not elaborate on what caused the sharp rise in the budget but said the difference would be spent mostly on forms and supplies. The Comelec spent only P1.5 billion in the 2002 barangay elections.

Borra’s statement appears to close the door on the possible computerization of the 2005 polls.

He believes that computers will only slow down the counting in the barangay elections.

As it would be impractical to furnish automated counting machines (ACMs) for each of the country’s 41,972 barangays, the ballots would have to be brought to municipal or town centers for centralized tabulation using the ACMs. The delayed tabulation could also give rise to accusations of cheating, said Borra.

Earlier commissioner Florentino Tuason Jr. said that with the necessary "legal imprimatur" the 2005 elections could be computerized in what could be another attempt to revive a contract with the company that was to supply the ACMs for this year’s election.