118.4 B allotted for 2019 polls

A total of 118.4 billion has been allocated for the holding of the 2019 midterm elections, newlyelected House Majority Floor Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya Jr. disclosed this Wednesday, allaying public fears that there will be no elections next year.

Andaya said the Duterte administration has allocated 16 billion for the 2019 elections under the proposed 13.757trillion national budget for 2019. The 16 billion allocationis on top of the 112.4 billion budget already earmarked for the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec’s) preparatory

activities for the 2019 polls under the 13.767 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2018.

“May pondo para sa national election in 2019. ‘Yan ay nasa submitted budget ng Pangulo. So the President’s budget is an anti-no-el budget (There is funding for the national election in 2019. That was included in the budget submitted by the President. So the President’s budget is anti-no-el budget),” Andaya, who served as Budget secretary during the Arroyo administration, said in an interview.

“So about 118.4 billion ang total for the mid-term poll. 112.4 billion in this year’s GAA kasi advance nga mag-isipang Comelec at 16 billion ang nasa 2019 NEP (National Expenditure Program). You can validate this with Comelec (So about 118.4 billion is the total budget for the mid-term poll. 112.4 billion in this year’s GAA because Comelec has foresight and 16 billion is included in the 2019 NEP),” he said.

With the election budget in place, Andaya said critics of the Duterte government should stop spreading lies that the mid-term polls will be scrapped.

“So ‘yung mga conspiracy theorists na nagsasabi na walang election, as far as the President’s budget is concerned ay mali. There is funding for the May, 2019 elections as scheduled. Between speculations and proposed appropriation, mas klaro ‘yung nasa budget,” he said.

Under the proposed national budget for 2019, Andaya said a total of 110.2 billion will allocated for the Comelec, 16 billion of which will be used for the mid-term elections.

The poll body also received 116.1 billion under the 2018 GAA, 112.4 billion of which was allocated for the preparatory activities for next year’s elections.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had earlier said she is “not supporting” a no-el scenario and term extension of elected officials.

She even branded as “black propaganda” claims that she is seeking the post of Prime Minister, as the Duterte government pushed for federalism.