THE HOUSE appropriations committee yesterday approved the P11.3-billion supplemental budget that the Commission on Elections will use for the automation of the 2010 national elections.

In approving House Bill 5715, the committee earmarked P2.2 billion for the purge of voters? list through a mandatory registration using the biometric system that requires the fingerprint of a voter as proof of his identity.

At the committee hearing, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, Jr. said there was no need to increase the proposed P11.3- supplemental budget of Comelec just to cleanse the voters? list. He said the poll body has P800 million funds ?left over? from the 2008 budget as well as a separate P1.4 billion embedded in the 2009 national budget.

?Since they [Comelec] have fiscal autonomy, [they can use these] leftover funds [because they] don?t expire,? Andaya said.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo told the committee the poll body has been continuing its efforts to purge the list of voters who died or registered twice.

Melo appealed to voters to register under the biometric system.

?We already have the list. It?s all a matter of reaching the people.

?The rest of the voters will have to go to the Internet [to check their names because], the Comelec can?t go to each of them,? Melo said.

Before the bill was approved by the panel, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez moved to remand the bill to the House committee on electoral reforms to ensure the voters? list is purged before the conduct of the automated polls.

Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin opposed the move, saying that Rodriguez should have raised the issue when the law on poll automation was being tackled by the House.

?It?s pointless to bring this [matter] back to the committee,? Locsin said, as he also hinted that Rodriguez may have raised the issue to get media attention.

?This is not for TV purposes, Mr. Chairman,? Rodriguez said, the volume and intensity of his voice rising. The hearing was suspended and resumed a few minutes later after Locsin and Rodriguez shook hands. Roy Pelovello