MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is counting on the PHP3.6 billion budget for the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) to cover expenses despite potential impacts from the Middle East crisis.

“Hopefully, if there is an adjustment based on current events, the Bangsamoro standby amount will be enough,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in an interview Wednesday.

Of the total, PHP3 billion and a PHP100 million standby fund come from Comelec, while the Bangsamoro Transition Authority has set aside PHP500 million for the polls.

Garcia also voiced concern over rising costs affecting preparations for the elections, tentatively scheduled on Sept. 14.

“We are really concerned about the potential rise in the cost of ballots and other materials to be used in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election, as the prices of our commodities are increasing, especially the price of petroleum,” he said.

“Paper will be expensive. At the same time, the cost of ink will increase. The printing cost of the National Printing Office will go up. Even the shipping services will become expensive, and the rest of the logistics. So, we need to factor all of that in,” Garcia added.

The poll body is awaiting the submission of the measure by the Senate and House of Representatives to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for signing into law.