With the Senate leading the review of economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution, and the push for People's Initiative to amend the Charter going south, is the P14-billion under the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) 2024 budget still needed?

In an interview on Tuesday, Jan. 16, Sen. Imee Marcos, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation raised the idea that perhaps the funds can be used for some other matters.

"Yung P14-billion na yan siguro naman maaring gamitin yan para sa gasolina, bigas, para sa mga ospital at iba pa. Eh, hindi na pala matutuloy, kailangan pa ba ng P14 billion para sa tatlong provision? (That P14 billion, maybe we can use that for gas, rice, for hospitals and other things. Since it will not push through, do we need P14 billion for three provisions?)," she explained.

Asked on whether it can still be withdrawn from Comelec, she replied: "Depende kung natransfer na sa Comelec. Aba'y mahirap nang galawin pero pwede na siguro ilaan yan para sa iba pang bagay. Although hindi pwede yun palipat-lipat. Hindi ko alam kung ano yun status ng pondo kasi nga wala kaming alam tungkol sa pondong yan (It depends if it's been transferred to Comelec. It's will be hard to meddle with it but perhaps it can be allotted to other things. Although funds can't be transferred here and there. I don't know what's the status of the funds since we don't know anything about it)."

Marcos also stated that the subject of using the funds for Charter change (Cha-cha) was never brought up in the series of budget hearings that she had with Comelec. What was mentioned, according to her, was that it will be used for building offices, salary of staff, and various other stipends.

"Wala naman hiningi na Cha-cha at any point. Biglaan sa bicam nagulat na lang kami pati ang ating committee nagulat na lang kung bakit sumulpot yung karadagan na P12 billion dyan, eh P2 billion lang hinihingi ng Pangulo noon (They never asked funds for Cha-cha at any point. We were surprised during the bicameral conference committee that there was P12 billion that was inserted, since only P2 billion was originally asked by the President at the time)," she said.

Marcos said that P2 billion was originally in the budget under the National Expenditure Program which she said is for preparation of the May 2025 polls, adding that she was surprised that it ballooned to P14 billion.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said they asked to restore P17.4 billion that was cut from their original budget proposal.

"Cong. Paduano moved to restore and the Committee hearing our budget approved the motion. We thank the bicam for restoring the said amount although unfortunately hindi P17.4 billion," he said in a message to reporters.

Garcia also confirmed that the budget increase was put under "Conduct and supervision of elections, referenda, recall votes, and plebiscites" and mentioned that the bump to the budget is rather inadequate considering the amount that was cut from them.

Seeking to avert a constitutional crisis, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that the Senate, as tasked by President Marcos, will take the lead in the discussions of the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution.