Comelec suspends exemption to ayuda rollout it granted to Batangas LGU

LT Group Inc. president Michael Tan (left) donates bottled water for victims of Taal volcano’s eruption to Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas (center). Behind them is LT Group’s mobile water filter station capable of processing 13,000 liters of drinking water per day. (File photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) suspended the ‘ayuda’ ban exemption it previously granted to the Batangas provincial government.

In an en banc decision dated April 21, Comelec revoked the exemption previously granted by its law department to Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas for the financial assistance to people involving P273 million.

Mandanas is running for vice governor of Batangas in the upcoming polls.

Comelec made the move after the Progressive Allied Batangueños (PAB) said the aid exemption would give Mandanas “undue advantage over the rest of the candidates.”

“We want to see, to account and audit the spendings so far since we granted the exemption to the provincial government,” Garcia said in an ambush interview at the Comelec headquarters in Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila on Thursday.

Garcia said the suspension of the Comelec exemption is indefinite.

The amount that was supposed to be distributed prior to the suspension order issued today includes P190 million worth of scholarship and educational assistance; P32 million worth of assistance for sports; P23 million worth of emergency assistance services; and P16 million worth of cash for work programs.

In its April 16 letter to the poll body, PAB said the payouts for Mandanas’ scholarship and educational programs are within the campaign period while the sports program is happening this year.