Lacson cites Charter workaround to tap Comelec’s funds for aid

‘Funds for barangay, SK polls can’t be diverted’

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday warned lawmakers that funds earmarked for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) cannot be repurposed, even if Congress decides to postpone the polls.The statement came as the House of Representatives moves to again defer the grassroots elections and redirect the P16-billion budget to cushion the impact of Middle East hostilities.Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Congress ma…

Lacson eyes unused BSKE funds for fuel crisis response

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has proposed a constitutional workaround to tap P16 billion in unused election funds to address the escalating fuel crisis, a move now backed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec: BSKE budget realignment for fuel crisis unconstitutional

While the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) may be postponed, realigning its unused budget for other government priorities could be deemed unconstitutional, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday.

Lacson cites Charter workaround to tap Comelec’s funds for aid

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday said there are constitutional ways to realign the funds of Commission on Elections (Comelec) for oil crisis response. Lacson made the clarification after Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said that realignment of Comelec’s budget for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to agencies outside the poll body may be unconstitutional. “What the Chair…

BENITEZ: CONGRESS SCOURS 2026 BUDGET TO FUND AID

Amid uncertainty over when the price of oil stabilizes, Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez said that Congress is scouring this year’s P6.7-trillion budget for sources of funds to help mitigate the impact of the oil crisis on the people. “What we’re doing is, we’re looking at all the appropriations of the ₱6.7-T budget made by Congress, where we can realign or reappropriate funds to combat the rise in prices,” Benitez said in a radio interview Monday. …