COMELEC

COMELEC's account of the 2025 election: FY 2027 COMELEC NEP proposal: PHP 29.5 billion, after an agency-described roughly PHP 15 billion reduction from a revised request. COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia described the 2025 national and local elections as successful and fast, citing Senate proclamations within five days, 81.7% turnout, and subsequent international recognition. He also reported three consecutive unqualified Commission on Audit opinions, a 99.73% financial-utilization rate, and a large reduction in the agency's pending case load. These are the Chairperson's reported performance measures.

Appeal to restore election-preparation funding: COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia said the proposed 2027 budget had been reduced by nearly PHP 23 billion from an earlier proposal baseline not separately established in the captured exchange, including about P9 billion from preparations for the 2028 national and local elections. He argued that the reduction could affect the 2028 election, as COMELEC projects about 74 million registered voters and therefore more precinct needs.

Machines, precinct crowding and contingency capacity: Garcia said COMELEC leased rather than purchased voting machines for the 2025 election and attributed savings to avoiding warehousing, upgrades and maintenance. He said the proposed reduction would leave the agency short of machines for 2028, potentially forcing it back to 800 to 1,000 voters per precinct instead of its preferred 600, and sought capacity that included contingency machines.

Why preparatory work must begin in 2027: Garcia linked an earlier filing-of-candidacy schedule, voter-list cleansing, and ballot printing to the 2028 election timetable. He said COMELEC wanted to print ballots by December 2027 to reduce the risks of late candidate-list changes and reprinting, while the proposed printing allocation would not fund ballot printing on that timetable. He also cited overseas deployment, testing, mock elections and demo ballots as preparation that has to occur before election year.

Certification, operational support and venues: Garcia said election-system certification and associated review needed to be done in 2027, rather than deferred to 2028. He described shortfalls or zero funding for overtime, venues and warehouse leases, technical support, trainer preparation, and field verification and mobilization. His request focused on restoring the P9 billion for preparatory national and local elections, even if the regular agency budget remained constrained.

COMELEC 2027 proposal and requested restoration: The NEP total comprised PHP 29.16 billion in new appropriations and PHP 339.88 million in automatic retirement and life-insurance appropriations, as introduced by Presiding Vice Chair Rep. Keith Micah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan. COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia attributed about PHP 9 billion of the cut from the revised request to 2028 election preparation and PHP 6 billion to regular operations. He also described an earlier PHP 5 billion reduction during DBM discussions and a nearly PHP 23 billion cut from an earlier proposal baseline. Rep. John Tracy F. Cagas characterized the original proposal as PHP 52 billion and the revised request as more than PHP 44 billion; the agency did not confirm those precise consolidated totals in the cited exchange.

Restoration appeals for election preparation: COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia prioritized restoring roughly PHP 9 billion cut from 2028 election preparation; he described about PHP 6 billion more in regular-operation cuts but offered the preparation money as the critical minimum. Rep. Percival "Perci" Cendaña urged opposition to the cuts, Rep. Jose "Joboy" S. Aquino II called for an increase or restoration, and Rep. John Tracy F. Cagas backed the agency's revised request, which he described as above PHP 44 billion. These were appeals or expressions of support, not adopted funding amendments.

Targeted workforce and voter-service proposals: Rep. Antonio L. Tinio requested a formal estimate for higher teacher and election-worker honoraria; COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia estimated PHP 2-2.5 billion and promised a written 2027 proposal. Rep. Jan "Atty. JP" Padiernos urged funding for voter education, while Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago called for restoration of continuing registration and voter education and possible additions for outreach and overseas enrollment. No specific appropriation for these items was approved.

Conditional use of unspent BSKE money: COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia proposed a special 2027 GAA provision to carry forward about PHP 10.9-11 billion of unspent 2026 BSKE appropriations if that election did not proceed, for 2028 preparation and other lawful COMELEC needs. Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez initially moved approval of the budget and provision, with Rep. Ziaur-Rahman "Zia" Alonto Adiong offering a second, then deferred the motion to the proper committee stage. DBM expressed no objection to the wording but left inclusion to Congress; Committee Chair Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing sought a formal request for BARC consideration. This would redirect existing conditional balances, not add PHP 11 billion in new funding, and no provision was adopted at the hearing.

2028 election readiness and operating capacity: Rep. Percival "Perci" Cendaña called the budget in the National Expenditure Program a "recipe for disaster" and asked what would happen if the P9-billion allocation for national-election preparation were not restored. Garcia replied that COMELEC would lack machines, prompt ballot-printing capacity and storage space, and said the agency was trying to prevent the 2028 election from being compromised by an insufficient budget. Asked why the reduction occurred, Garcia said DBM representatives had asked COMELEC to reduce its proposal as a compromise. He said the agency had already removed P5 billion, including a voter-verification feature, proposed blockchain technology and work on the COMELEC building, before the NEP showed a further reduction. Garcia said COMELEC received no explanation for the P9-billion preparatory-election cut. Cendaña asked why COMELEC's capital outlay was zero and argued that dependence on local governments for space and staffing could compromise electoral integrity. Garcia said COMELEC did not have its own office building, relied on local-government-provided space and casual personnel in some places, and had not received the additional election assistants it requested. He said construction and purchases would have to be deferred under a zero allocation.

Contingency elections and referendum funding: Garcia said COMELEC's standing budget for recall initiatives and referenda was inadequate for unexpected elections, so the agency had previously realigned savings to conduct a special election. Cendaña then asked whether COMELEC could fund a nationwide referendum if an anti-political-dynasty people's initiative reached the required threshold. Garcia said COMELEC supported the signature-gathering initiative and had lifted the suspension of rules for legislative people's initiatives, but had no budget for such a referendum.

Appeal against election-budget cuts: Cendaña urged the House to express its opposition to cuts in COMELEC's election budget. Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia said abrupt reductions make it difficult to plan a critical election and raised the possibility of a statutory framework that would let constitutional bodies submit budget proposals directly to Congress, drawing an analogy to the Judiciary Independence Act.

Bangsamoro election practices as possible national reforms: Asked which Bangsamoro election innovations might be applied nationally, Garcia pointed to sector-based party-list classification, anti-political-dynasty rules, women's representation and candidate photographs. He said the party-list, anti-dynasty and related changes would require legislation rather than additional budget; Cendaña said he was watching House and Senate action on those reforms.

Overseas voting, registration and staffing capacity: Cendaña asked why only about 220,000 of 1.2 million overseas voters had voted online. Garcia said midterm overseas turnout had stayed near 18 percent, compared with 40.59 percent in the 2022 national-and-local election, and said COMELEC was strengthening its campaign, verification features and voter registration. He said fewer than 300,000 overseas voters had registered against a two-million target and that all 104 overseas posts would use internet voting. Cendaña questioned COMELEC's reliance on job-order and contract personnel and the difficulty of recruiting election officers. Garcia said the agency was trying to fill vacant posts and cited 831 unfilled positions and 620 job-order workers, followed by further counts for other employment categories; he said entry-level election officers were Salary Grade 18, or Grade 21 in NCR, versus higher pay at other agencies.

A proposed quick-response fund: Rep. Jose "Joboy" S. Aquino II asked whether COMELEC had a Quick Response Fund for emergencies. Garcia replied that COMELEC had neither a Quick Response Fund nor an intelligence fund.

Election frequency and cost: Aquino asked whether holding elections every five years, rather than every three, could reduce costs. Garcia described the agency's estimated costs for a national and local election and for BSKE, and said a longer term might be a solution but would require constitutional amendment or revision because three-year terms are constitutionally prescribed for local posts and some national posts.

Support for restoring COMELEC funding: Aquino said the committee should place Garcia's statement on record and then manifested support for approving COMELEC's budget. He said the budget should be increased, or at least the funds he understood had been lost should be restored, and moved for its approval.

Why the proposed machine lease is higher: Rep. Edgar R. Erice questioned why COMELEC sought a larger machine-lease budget for 2028 than it spent in 2025. Garcia said the estimate factored in inflation and a projected increase from 68 million voters in 2025 to about 74 million in 2028, requiring roughly 124,000 machines. He also said the 2025 machines had been leased for one-time use, not purchased for COMELEC ownership.

Dispute over reusing the 2025 machines: Erice argued that reusing the machines from the prior election could cost less and free funds for COMELEC's other needs. Garcia replied that the previous contract was lease-only and said that, if the procurement proceeded under its prepared revised terms of reference, it would involve a new provider and machines reflecting problems identified in the 2025 election. Erice disputed the claim that Congress had required one-time use and continued to press for austerity through reuse. The exchange records competing positions; it does not decide their legal or procurement merits.

Advisory Council recommendation and fiscal space: Garcia said COMELEC had completed its terms of reference and that the COMELEC Advisory Council recommended leasing machines for 2028, not necessarily from the same provider, with additional features. Garcia said the main cost driver was the larger number of machines rather than technical improvements. Erice maintained that using the existing machines could save money and said limited fiscal space made restoring the full P9 billion difficult; Garcia said COMELEC would consider the concern while still appealing to Congress.

Bridge to the BSKE funding question: After Erice's exchange, Rep. Keith Micah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan recognizes Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores. Flores begins asking about requested and granted funding for the last BSKE; Garcia says prior allocations were based on historical figures that did not fully account for growing voter, precinct, paraphernalia and teacher-honoraria needs.

Why the BSKE request is larger than in 2023: Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores followed up on the difference between the previous BSKE request and the current estimate. Garcia attributed the increase to higher teacher honoraria, more teachers and precincts, and added support staff, including personnel needed to assist older voters. He said these additions materially increased the cost calculation.

ICT reduction and cybersecurity capacity: Flores asked about the reported 87.4% reduction in COMELEC's ICT proposal. Garcia said the request covered IT and cybersecurity measures, more cybersecurity specialists, and an intended dedicated cybersecurity department. He cited the 2016 voter-list compromise and the risk of foreign intervention as reasons for strengthening systems; he said the agency was relying on staff monitoring and training without additional equipment under the reduced budget.

Voter registration technology: Garcia said COMELEC's registration machines were old and captured four fingerprints, while he described ABIS with ten fingerprints, facial recognition and iris data as the current standard. He said COMELEC was using savings to procure ABIS but that annual maintenance funding would still be needed, and warned that cuts could affect voter-list cleansing.

Case backlog, election offenses and faster disposition: Flores asked how COMELEC's reported case-disposition rate related to the claimed reduction in pending cases. Garcia said the figures covered different units and that motions for reconsideration were counted as dispositions, while the Law Department's criminal matters require due process. He described proactive Political Finance and Affairs Department cases, including alleged overspending, and said COMELEC would provide the committee its list of cases initiated by that office. Flores supported restoring funding but asked for cases to be resolved before elections; Garcia committed to submit case updates.

Residency cancellation in the Bangsamoro election: Rep. Elijah Rumbaoa San Fernando asked about the cancellation of Anwar Alamada's candidacy and placed the question in the context of the Bangsamoro peace process. Garcia said, without addressing the matter beyond what he considered appropriate while it could go to the Supreme Court, that COMELEC's decision rested on lack of residency or domicile, including a barangay certification and other evidence. He said COMELEC gave significant weight to the certification in light of Supreme Court decisions, as he described them.

Keeping the appellate path open: San Fernando argued that the circumstances of a senior MILF official and the peace process raised a difficult domicile question. Garcia said COMELEC had left Alamada's name on the ballot and issued its decision early enough for him to seek Supreme Court relief; he said votes could be treated as valid if relief were obtained. Garcia said the case could clarify how domicile rules apply to people with peripatetic lives, while acknowledging that COMELEC was applying the Local Government Code, Bangsamoro Electoral Code and existing Supreme Court decisions. San Fernando said he was satisfied with the response and hoped the issue would be clarified for future cases.

BSKE readiness and obligated funds: Rep. Jan "Atty. JP" Padiernos asked about the BSKE preparations and the reported P8-billion expenditure. Garcia said materials had been procured or were ready, while time-sensitive items had not yet been delivered; the main remaining need was training roughly one million teachers, electoral-board members and support staff for a manual election. Garcia said about P8.003 billion was obligated or earmarked and could still be used if the election did not proceed on the stated date.

Special-election financing and local-government advances: Padiernos asked about the Dasmariñas special election and the local government's reported advance. Garcia said an LGU may advance special-election expenses under the Omnibus Election Code, that reimbursement depended on savings becoming available, and that the advance helped pay teachers on election night. He said COMELEC retained final control over spending, described prior local-government advances, and cited his account of the Hagedorn ruling as requiring COMELEC to conduct certain special elections and find funding even without a House call.

Leasing rather than retaining election machines: Padiernos revisited whether COMELEC could reuse the machines from the 2025 lease. Garcia said the current contract was one-time use without an option to purchase, unlike earlier arrangements, and cited warehousing, maintenance and enhancement costs. He said growing voter numbers and the importance of the 2028 presidential election informed COMELEC's preference for new machines, while acknowledging the broader policy debate over purchase or reuse.

Cybersecurity limits and proposed support: Padiernos asked what COMELEC was doing on cybersecurity and whether it needed additional funding. Garcia said a prior ICT reduction had constrained the agency's ability to establish a separate cybersecurity department, leaving it to rely on designated IT personnel, continuous monitoring, training and a data-privacy handbook. He said COMELEC supported proposed social-media regulation and cybersecurity work in the House but described its own actions as budget-limited.

Internet voting for overseas Filipinos: Padiernos asked about overseas internet voting. Garcia said COMELEC had used internet voting in most posts but not where host countries did not allow it, and gave turnout figures and targets as agency-reported measures. He said voters sought confirmation of submitted votes, while COMELEC was balancing that request against vote-buying risks; the agency's new terms of reference would allow a short review period. Garcia described registration, identity-document checks and a one-time PIN as the safeguards for online participation. Padiernos closed by supporting the budget and asking for voter-education funding, particularly for OFWs.

Election-worker honoraria: Rep. Antonio L. Tinio focused on honoraria for teachers and other election workers. Garcia said COMELEC had added P2,000 across the board, placing board-chair, vice-chair and third-member honoraria at P12,000, P11,000 and P10,000 respectively, with comparable additions for DESOs and support staff. Garcia said a higher P15,000/P14,000/P13,000 scale would be reasonable if funded, particularly because manual BSKE work is demanding.

Funding a higher scale in the 2027 proposal: Garcia estimated that raising the teacher-honoraria scale could require about P2 to P2.5 billion. Tinio asked COMELEC for a formal figure, data and a position paper, noting that the issue would remain even if BSKE were postponed. Garcia said the 2027 budget proposal and submissions to the appropriations and electoral-reforms committees would include the item.

Bridge to ballot-printing funding: After Tinio's exchange, Rep. Keith Micah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan recognizes Rep. John Tracy F. Cagas. Cagas begins asking why the large reduction in the ballot-printing and voter-information-sheet allocation would threaten election preparation; Garcia says shifting the amount to the 2028 budget would delay procurement and printing.

Deployment and logistics before election year: Rep. John Tracy F. Cagas asked why a steep cut to deployment and logistics would create an election risk. Garcia said preparatory deployment was already needed in 2027 for overseas work, voter-education roadshows, continuing registration and field tests, not only on election day. He said that dividing deployment work among providers could create price and coordination problems, and that the cut could compromise those activities.

Registration technology versus election machines: Cagas asked whether planned new equipment would include enhanced biometric capabilities. Garcia distinguished registration equipment from voting machines: he said a proposed biometric feature and blockchain technology had been removed from the election-machine budget, while COMELEC was using existing funds to procure registration equipment with ten-fingerprint capability. He said the planned election-machine count would grow with the voter population and that COMELEC had consulted the Advisory Council and civil-society groups on features.

Machine and ballot-security specifications: Garcia said the stakeholder suggestions included better scanners, oil-based rather than water-based pens, ballot-paper specifications and embedded ballot security features readable by machines. He said the budget shortfall also covered equipment and consumables such as consolidation laptops, SD cards, smart cards and technical training, separate from ballot printing.

Cagas supports restoring the request: Cagas said he supported COMELEC's plea to restore its revised request, arguing that credible and peaceful elections required adequate funding. His support was a member's position; the digest does not adopt the stated aggregate figures as an independent budget finding.

BSKE preparation amid uncertainty: Rep. Renee Louise M. Co asked about the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), reported concern about extended holdover terms, and asked how much had been spent. Garcia said COMELEC could not take a political position but had continued preparations while the law remained in force. He said about P8.003 billion had been obligated or earmarked, while deliveries of time-sensitive materials were held to avoid starting warranty periods or receiving supplies that could expire before use.

Postponement, sunk preparation and periodic elections: Co warned that another postponement could waste preparation spending, prolong holdover service and affect the exercise of suffrage. Garcia said COMELEC supported the principle that elections should be periodic, regular and definite, and said any proponent of a postponement would need to defend why the Supreme Court's criteria did not control. These are the speakers' accounts of the legal and policy stakes, not a judicial determination in this digest.

Why BSKE and national elections cannot share one election day: Co asked whether synchronizing the barangay/SK and national/local elections would save money. Garcia said they could not technically be held on the same day because BSKE is manual while the national and local election is automated, with different proclamation arrangements. He said holding them in the same year would still require both budget requests and could create a very large single-year requirement; he did not say it would save money.

SK anti-political-dynasty enforcement and complaints: Co asked about complaints under the SK Reform Act's anti-political-dynasty provision and sought the record of cases. Garcia said COMELEC had disqualified cases brought to it and that Supreme Court decisions had affirmed two cases, according to his account. On monitoring, he said COMELEC had a memorandum of agreement with the National Youth Commission but could not disqualify candidates on its own initiative merely because of kinship; a complaint or petition was required. Co requested the MOA and supported a broader enabling anti-political-dynasty law.

Deadline for a nuisance-candidate bill: Rep. Ramil L. Hernandez described pending House Bill 7546 as a proposal to impose penalties, including possible criminal liability, on people found to be nuisance candidates. He asked when it would have to pass to apply to the 2028 election. Garcia said approval before the end of 2026 was critical because the 2027 filing period would begin in the third week of September.

Limits on disqualifying nuisance candidates: Garcia said recent Supreme Court decisions had narrowed COMELEC's discretion under Section 69 of the Omnibus Election Code. He said party affiliation, a small prior vote, a similar name, limited funds, few supporters and weak organization were not by themselves grounds for disqualification, and warned that the consequence could be very long ballots in national races.

Ballot reprinting and support for criminalization: Garcia cited a 2025 episode in which COMELEC had printed six million ballots before a Supreme Court restraining order led it to include a candidacy it had treated as nuisance and reprint ballots. He said COMELEC supported Hernandez's proposal to criminalize nuisance candidacies; Hernandez replied that the House would work together to seek passage within the year.

Overseas voting, registration and inclusive access: Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago asked why overseas turnout remained relatively low after the 2025 online voting and counting system. Garcia said the DFA leads overseas voter registration under the overseas voting law while COMELEC supervises and coordinates. He said registration had not reached two million, had peaked at 1.6 million in 2022, and was about 1.1 million in 2025 after deactivation of 600,000 voters who had missed two consecutive elections. Garcia relayed reasons DFA personnel and embassies had given for low overseas registration: concern about a foreign-citizenship application, reluctance to seek dual citizenship, and undocumented status. He contrasted the low return rate for mailed ballots with his hope that internet voting could improve turnout, and described registration booths for seafarers, airports and overseas locations. He said satellite registration requested by embassies would require staff and funding that may be constrained by the budget reduction. Elago raised reports of voters arriving for in-person voting only to learn that they had to register before using the online system, and called for stronger voter information. Garcia said registration had to come before enrollment and described the need to reach remote, indigenous, disabled and pregnant voters, including through costly field mobilization. Elago noted House proposals to retain in-person or postal options alongside online voting for different circumstances.

Election safeguards and platform accountability: Garcia said COMELEC would continue and strengthen its anti-discrimination safeguards and described them as a first-time initiative that prompted reports and candidate disqualifications. He said the task force was staffed from existing offices and used office supplies; he linked the loss of casual and contract staff to difficulty reviewing campaign-finance submissions and preparing for 2028. Elago separately said the task force had no dedicated funding and called for restoring funding for voter education, continuing registration and overseas enrollment. Garcia said COMELEC had adopted social-media and AI rules with academic and other-sector assistance, but described the policy as legally vulnerable because the Philippines lacks a dedicated social-media regulation law and COMELEC cannot create crimes or impose criminal punishment. He said the KKK task force investigates matters and coordinates takedown requests with platforms, while the lack of local platform presence leaves COMELEC dependent on requests and memorandum-of-agreement commitments. Elago emphasized accountability for disinformation architects and commercial actors rather than ordinary users.

Request for gender-and-development reporting: In a closing manifestation, Elago asked COMELEC to submit to the Committee on Appropriations a report on its gender-and-development utilization and on implementation of the guidelines in Resolutions 11064 and 1116. Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia said COMELEC would comply immediately.

Term fixing versus election postponement: Rep. Amado Carlos A. Bolilia IV asked about efforts to change the timing of the forthcoming barangay election. Garcia said the Constitution permits Congress to fix barangay officials' terms by law. He distinguished a 2023 postponement, which he said the Supreme Court had found unconstitutional, from the 2025 term-fixing approach, which he said the Court had left standing. Garcia stressed that he was not predicting a future ruling and that the Court could change its doctrine.

Need for an early legal and operational decision: Garcia said proponents would need to meet the Supreme Court's stated guidelines if the measure were based on reasons other than term fixing. He asked Congress not to let the issue remain unresolved past September because certificates of candidacy were due from September 28 to October 5. He said COMELEC needed clarity on whether an election would proceed; he also said its purchases would remain usable and that a stated 11 billion balance was still with DBM.

Garcia's case against abolishing the Sangguniang Kabataan: Bolilia asked about a reported suggestion to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan. Garcia explicitly offered a personal view, separate from the reported DILG statement: he said youth participation is constitutionally guaranteed and described the SK as an instrument for it. He added that SK spending is subject to barangay authorization and supervision, and said the SK should not be abolished.

Registration outreach and inclusive access: Garcia said a short August registration window drew more than three million people but that many still waited until the last days. He described continuous campaigns, registration anywhere and anytime, and outreach at hospitals, call centers, airports and remote communities. He said deactivation remained a major concern, and described outreach to geographically isolated communities, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, pregnant voters and persons deprived of liberty. Bolilia supported restoring the proposed 2027 budget cut.

COMELEC's assurance on the first Bangsamoro parliamentary election: Rep. Ziaur-Rahman "Zia" Alonto Adiong asked about security before the first regular Bangsamoro parliamentary election. Garcia said the September 14 election would proceed, with no restraining order then in place. He described 80 parliamentary seats, 32 district seats, 40 party seats and eight sectoral seats, as well as 3.393 million voters, 5,212 precincts and 1,816 voting centers.

Security assessment after the ambush: Garcia said COMELEC had recorded one election-related incident, the attack on the interim chief minister, while stressing that red-category designations reflected historical risk and did not by themselves establish current violence. He relayed that five suspects had been identified and that the interim chief minister had stated there would be no retaliation. These are Garcia's hearing account of the security situation, not an independent investigation finding.

Polling preparation, testing and replacement personnel: Garcia said teacher and technical-personnel training was underway and equipment had reached provincial hubs for delivery to municipalities. He described final testing and sealing for September 12 across 5,212 machines, and said roughly 2,000 trained PNP personnel from outside Bangsamoro could replace teachers if needed to protect perceived integrity and impartiality.

Transmission and projected results timetable: Garcia said COMELEC expected automated results on election night and proclamations beginning the following day, while task forces and commissioners would monitor the process. He said transmission devices, including Starlink for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, were being deployed and reported three-to-five-second transmission tests. He expressed hope the process would finish the next day and serve as preparation for 2028.

Dionisio backs COMELEC's budget: Rep. Ernesto "Ernix" Dionisio Jr. made a brief manifestation commending Garcia's responses and leadership of COMELEC. Speaking as a deputy majority leader, he said the agency could count on support for its budget.

Conditional 2028 election preparation funding: Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez asked how COMELEC would use funds removed from its proposal if the BSKE did not proceed. Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia said the priority would be to restore roughly P9 billion for 2028-election preparation, subject to fiscal space, rather than treating the entire amount as automatically available.

Proposed continuing appropriation for COMELEC needs: Garcia proposed a special GAA provision that would make the P11 billion BSKE allocation available as a continuing appropriation for critical COMELEC purposes if the election did not proceed, subject to audit rules. He identified election preparation and compensation or overtime for casual and contract personnel as possible needs; Rodriguez asked COMELEC to submit the proposed language.

Term fixing rather than another postponement: Rodriguez argued for fixing barangay officials' terms at five years instead of postponing the BSKE again. Garcia described the Supreme Court's 2025 decision as recognizing Congress's authority to fix terms; Rodriguez said Congress would decide the policy question.

Budget action deferred to the committee process: Rodriguez initially sought approval of the COMELEC budget and the proposed special provision, then said he had been informed that the timing was not yet appropriate and that he would make a formal motion later. Rep. Zia Adiong said the proposal should be reflected in the committee report for consideration by the Mother Committee and the BARC.

Committee support and requested reports: Before suspending the hearing, presiding Vice Chair Rep. Keith Micah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan said the committee supported providing COMELEC sufficient funding for a fair 2028 election and asked the agency to provide the reports members had requested, including the draft special provision.

DBM asked to assess a proposed special provision: When the hearing resumed, Committee Chair Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing asked DBM Director Elena Regina S. Brillantes for a technical view on placing in the 2027 GAA a special provision concerning unutilized BSKE funds appropriated in the 2026 GAA. She said members had expressed support for considering the provision in the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee.

Draft language for unused BSKE balances: Brillantes said DBM had no objection to including a 2027 COMELEC special provision for transparency, while leaving inclusion to Congress. Garcia then read proposed language that would treat unexpended BSKE balances as continuing appropriations for 2028 national-and-local-election preparation and other lawful COMELEC purposes, subject to committee refinement and the proper amendment process.

Formal request for the unused-BSKE-funds provision: Committee Chair Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing said allowing continued use of up to P10.9 billion in unutilized BSKE funds could help address a roughly P15-billion shortfall within limited fiscal space, and characterized the proposed provision as a transparency measure. She asked COMELEC for a formal request so that institutional amendments could be considered openly by the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee.

COMELEC's position on fixing barangay and SK terms: Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez asked COMELEC's position on legislation to fix Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan terms. Garcia said COMELEC viewed the fixing of those terms as Congress's sole authority and would implement Congress's decision, whether it set a five-year term or consecutive terms; Hernandez connected the question to the budget and the legislative timetable.

Procurement held short of delivery while legislation remained uncertain: Asked how COMELEC was preparing while term-fixing legislation remained unresolved, Garcia said awards had been made for election supplies such as indelible ink and fingerprint takers, but notices to proceed had not been released. He said that kept delivery, warehousing responsibility and warranty periods with suppliers for the time being, while allowing COMELEC to proceed later if an election were needed.

Fiscal autonomy and potential savings: Hernandez asked whether delaying delivery could create savings that COMELEC could use under its fiscal autonomy. Garcia clarified that notices of award had already been issued, with only notices to proceed pending; he said the procurement timing could avoid higher later costs and that, if the election were cancelled through term fixing, potential unused funds could help COMELEC without taking budget from other departments, subject to audit and other requirements.

Motion to terminate the budget hearing: Hernandez moved to terminate the committee hearing on COMELEC's proposed fiscal-year 2027 budget under House Bill No. 10858.

Committee terminates COMELEC budget hearing: Suansing seconded the motion to terminate the hearing on COMELEC's proposed fiscal-year 2027 budget. Tan announced that the motion was duly seconded, heard no objection and declared it approved.

Hearing suspended until September 2: Hernandez then moved to suspend the House Bill No. 10858 hearing at Andaya Hall until September 2, 2026, at 9 a.m. Suansing seconded; Tan heard no objection and declared the suspension.