Comelec says holding an election for vacant Senate to cost P13-B

Transcript

00:00With Senator Juan Edgardo, Sonny Angara all set to assume his post as the next

00:05education czar, his vacated seat in the Senate shall remain as is until May 2025

00:11when the midterm elections unfold.

00:14And although the Senate can assist and opt on a special poll to fill out Angara's vacated seat, the cost alone of a

00:22nationwide elections just for one Senate seat is

00:26prohibitively costly and insane. Our Luisa Errizpe has more on the poll body's take on Angara's vacated Senate seat.

00:35Now that Senator Edgardo Sonny Angara is bound to assume the post of Secretary of the Department of Education,

00:42his seat in the Senate will be vacant beginning the 19th of July.

00:45But the Commission on Elections said it is likely his seat will remain vacant until the 2025 midterm elections.

00:53According to Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the Senate may opt to maintain the position vacant

00:58considering the midterm elections are just months away.

01:15The Kamalak also said if ever the Senate requests to hold an election for the vacant seat,

01:20it may cost about 13 billion pesos.

01:23This is a lot more than the usual expense for special elections because the voting requires votes nationwide and overseas.

01:51In case the Senate decides to leave Angara's seat vacant, the Kamalak said there is no need to assign for a caretaker.

01:58Unlike in positions for House of Representatives,

02:00there are no districts under the Senate as this is considered as a national position in the government.

02:06Also, there is no need to vote for an additional slot for senators because Angara is serving his last term as a senator.

02:20As of now, all of these still depend on the Senate's position on the matter.

02:29They will still decide whether to push for a special election and the Kamalak just awaits their decision and instructions

02:35while it congratulates the newly appointed Secretary of the Education Department,

02:40Louisa Erispe from the National TV for a new and better Philippines.