The Commission on Elections is estimating that it will need about P8.57 million to conduct a special election for Batanes’ lone congressional district following the death of Rep. Ciriaco “Jun” Gato Jr., with the poll body looking for ways to cover the cost within its existing budget.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the proposed special election is tentatively scheduled for December 19, although the date still needs approval from the Comelec en banc. The poll body plans to formally elevate the proposal next week.
The election became necessary after Gato died on September 21, leaving Batanes without a representative in the House. Under the timetable cited by Comelec, the special election must be held within the period provided for filling a legislative vacancy, with December 19 falling within the proposed window.
The province had 13,138 registered voters as of June 1, according to Comelec. Garcia said December 19 was being considered partly because it falls on a Saturday, potentially allowing more voters to participate without regular work or school schedules.
Funding, however, remains a challenge. Garcia said Comelec may have to identify savings from its existing programs and projects because it is not currently expecting a supplemental appropriation to finance the special election. The poll body has previously faced similar funding constraints for other special elections.
To reduce expenses, Comelec is also considering using election supplies already procured for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. These include indelible ink, ballpens and thumbprint tape. If the BSKE does not proceed on its scheduled date, those supplies could be redirected for use in Batanes.
Garcia said the remaining major expenses would include teachers’ honoraria, the mobilization of election personnel, ballot printing and other election-related requirements.
The planned special poll is separate from the proposed postponement of the 2026 BSKE to 2028. Comelec has said it is preparing for the Batanes election regardless of the status of the barangay and youth elections, while exploring ways to reuse supplies if those elections do not push through as originally planned.
The Batanes special election is therefore moving into the preparation stage, but the final date and funding arrangements remain subject to Comelec action. The immediate challenge is to ensure that the required election can be conducted within the legal timetable while managing the additional cost through available government resources.
