LOCAL officials facing recall complaints can find some relief in the announcement of Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Melo that the funding for the special polls has been deleted from the budget.

?Senator [Edgardo] Angara just told me that they have deleted the provision for the funds [P50 million] for the conduct of special polls,? Melo told reporters at his office at the Palacio del Gobernador building in Intramuros, Manila.

?It means there is no recall election that will be conducted,? Melo, a former Supreme Court justice, said.

But given the lack of time as it is already approaching to the one-year ban before a general election which is on May 10, 2010, Melo said, with or without budget, holding a recall election at this time was close to impossible.

On verification of signatures alone, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that it will take much time plus the counter petitions that can be filed which can even reach the Supreme Court.

?We at the Comelec are always ready to carry out what is mandated for us to do so including the conduct of recall elections but given the lack of time, we do not think it is still possible at this time,? Sarmiento said.

Of the 28 recall complaints pending before the poll body, six of them were approved. They include the petitions against Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio; Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan; Cabuyao, Laguna Mayor Isidro Hemedes Jr.; Mauban, Quezon Mayor Rexito Bantayan; Matag-ob, Leyte Mayor Gervasio Basbas; and Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija Vice Mayor Rossman Carry Uera.

The election body had asked Congress to appropriate P46,539,189 for the Pampanga recall election; P30,465,605 for Sulu; P6,649,715 for Cabuyao; P3,399,976 for Mauban; P3,152,700 for Matag-Ob; and P2,943,011 for Pantabangan, but Congress approved only P50 million.

In November last year, the Comelec en banc issued Resolution 8547 effectively putting all recall petitions on the back burner until funds were made available for the purpose.