Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Monday said funds originally allocated for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) could be returned to the national treasury if left unused, offering what he described as a constitutional way to support government spending amid the oil crisis.
Lacson clarified that directly transferring part of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) budget to other agencies would be unconstitutional.
However, he noted that the money could still be accessed if the polls were postponed and the unspent amount formally declared as savings.
“Funds allocated to the COMELEC cannot be realigned to items outside it because that would be unconstitutional, but the allocations can still be treated as savings,” Lacson said in a statement.
He added:
“COMELEC may opt not to spend the funds for the BSKE and declare them as savings to be returned to the Treasury.”
His remarks followed proposals to delay the BSKE and redirect the remaining billions in the COMELEC budget to help cushion the impact of rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier, COMELEC chairperson George Erwin Garcia expressed concern over plans to defer the elections and repurpose the funds.
The COMELEC’s budget for the BSKE stands at about ₱19 billion, with roughly ₱3 billion already spent on preparations.
The elections, initially scheduled for December 1, 2025, were moved to November 2 this year. Some lawmakers have since pushed for another postponement, citing the continued surge in oil prices.
Lacson’s proposal underscores the constitutional limits on budget realignment while pointing to a possible fiscal remedy through the declaration of savings.