Sen. Risa Hontiveros today sought an increase in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) budget to enable the poll body to prepare for the 2022 presidential elections in light of the major health adjustments necessitated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Hindi natin alam kung kailan magkakabakuna, kaya health concern pa din ang budget ng Comelec leading up to 2022. We have to ensure the elections don't become a super spreader for COVID-19 infections,” she said.

(We don’t know when will the vaccine be made available. That is why the Comelec budget must be a health concern)

“2021 will be our ‘transition year’ into the new normal. We want to encourage as many people as possible to still go out, register, and exercise their democratic right to vote, despite the extraordinary circumstances. We cannot allow COVID-19 to stand in the way of our democracy,” she said.

In today’s Senate budget hearing, Hontiveros pointed out that senior citizens, other than Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the most vulnerable populations to COVID-19, stand at around 9.1 million or approximately 14 percent of registered voters.

The proposed hike, Hontiveros said, would go to additional vote-counting machines (VCMs) to reduce the number of people allowed per cluster precinct.

She said this would make it easier for social distancing to be observed and would also ensure that everyone gets to vote in a single day to avoid cheating and other anomalies.

“We have to find the safest and most efficient option to retain the integrity of our elections. Hindi dapat maging opportunity ang pandemya para gumawa ng kalokohan,” she added.

(The pandemic must not be used as excuse to make misdeeds)

Hontiveros said that a budget hike would also need appropriate accountability from the Comelec.

"Siguraduhin ng Comelec na walang kikita sa pag-procure at pag-lease natin. Let’s keep this clean from start to end,’’ she added.

(There should be no opportunity for corruption in the purchase and lease of election equipment.)