The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hoping that the PHP3.6 billion budget for the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) is sufficient amid tensions in the Middle East.
“Hopefully, if there is an adjustment based on current events, the Bangsamoro standby amount will be enough,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in an interview Wednesday.
Of the amount, PHP3 billion and a PHP100 million standby fund are from the Comelec, while the Bangsamoro Transition Authority has allocated PHP500 million.
At the same time, Garcia expressed concern over the potential effects of the Middle East crisis on their ongoing preparations for the polls tentatively set on Sept. 14.
“We are really concerned about the potential rise in the cost of ballots and other materials to be used in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election, as the prices of our commodities are increasing, especially the price of petroleum,” he said.
“Paper will be expensive. At the same time, the cost of ink will increase. The printing cost of the National Printing Office will go up. Even the shipping services will become expensive, and the rest of the logistics. So, we need to factor all of that in,” the Comelec chief added.
The poll body is waiting for the Senate and the House of Representatives to submit the measure to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and sign it into law. (PNA)