Pimentel admits Congress to blame for waste of money

Camille Elemia

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Pimentel admits Congress to blame for waste of money

Rappler.com

'Tama po 'iyon nagiging wasteful tayo dun because mabagal din ang kilos namin, so meron din kaming kasalanan dun,' says Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the government has no option but to waste money after Congress’ late action on proposals to postpone the 2017 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataang elections to next year. 

The Commission on Elections earlier asked Congress to pass the measure mid-August before they start printing ballots worth P1 billion, according to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. (READ: Are we postponing barangay and SK elections or not? P500M is at stake)

But Pimentel said the Senate would finish the bill by September or a month before the October 2017 local elections. A counterpart bill in the House of Representatives is already pending on second reading.

Asked about it, Pimentel said nothing could be done to avoid the waste of government funds. He admitted Congress was at fault for acting late on the measures.

“Wala tayong magagawa. (We can’t do anything about it.) Comelec must not assume that there is going to be changes in the law. They should act according to what is the law today. Tama po ‘yon nagiging wasteful tayo dun because mabagal din ang kilos namin, so meron din kaming kasalanan dun (That’s right, we are being wasteful because we were slow in acting on it. So we are also at fault here), Pimentel told reporters on Monday, August 14.

It was President Rodrigo Duterte who called for the delay of the local polls anew and instead appoint officers-in-charge – a move earlier opposed by legislators. This, the President said, would stop narco-politicians from staying in power. (READ: Senators to block law allowing Duterte to delay polls, appoint OICs)

As a compromise, Pimentel said they would now push for a measure that would delay the elections to 2018 with current barangay officials remaining as holdovers.

“I don’t forsee that to be controversial, nagawa na namin un e,” Pimentel said.

On top of this, Pimentel said he would include a provision that would require Malacañang to file charges against barangay officials in the drug list.

“Kung ipopostpone din naman natin with holdover para less controversy, hihingi kami ng corresponding action sa executive branch to act on their list, which they are using,” he said. (Since we’re postponing it with holdovers, to lessen the controversy, we will ask a corresponding action from the executive branch to act on their list, which they are using.)

On August 9, Comelec already started printing official ballots for the October 23, 2017 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or youth council) elections.

A total of 77 million ballots will be printed – 56 million for the barangay polls and nearly 21 million ballots for SK voters. – Rappler.com

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Camille Elemia

Camille Elemia is a former multimedia reporter for Rappler. She covered media and disinformation, the Senate, the Office of the President, and politics.