Comelec exempts 48 projects from Eleksyon 2025 spending ban

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) exempted 48 infrastructure projects from the spending ban ahead of the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).

On Friday, the poll body issued certificates of exemption on the following public-private partnership center projects, excluding them from Section 261 (v) (1) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC):

1. NCR EDSA Busway Project
2. UP Philippine General Hospital Manila Cancer Center Project
3. UP Philippine General Hospital Diliman Project
4. University of the Philippines Los-Baños Agro-Industrial Information Technology Parks Project
5. San Juan-Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program
6. Manila Central Post Office Project
7. Rizal Park Western Section Development Project
8. Mt. Data Hotel Project
9. Aquilino Pimentel International Convention Center
10. Metro Manila Subway Project
11. Metro Rail Transit Line 3 O&M
12. North-South Commuter Railway Operations and Maintenance Private Partnership Project
13. Philippine Automatic Fare Collection System
14. Operations and Maintenance of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project
15. Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake Ferry Project
16. Rehabilitation-Expansion-Operation-Maintenance of the Iloilo International Airport
17. Upgrade, expansion, operation, and maintenance of the Kalibo International Airport Project
18. Baguio City Integrated Terminal Project
19. Redevelopment of the Baguio City Public Market
20. Smart Urban Mobility Project
21. Development and improvement of ASIN Hydropower Plants
22. Dialysis center PPP Project for the renal center facility of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center
23. Cagayan Valley Medical Center Hemodialysis Center
24. National Food Hub Project
25. Entertainment and Events Hub Package 2: Multi-modal mobility terminal
26. Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase II
27. Boracay Bridge Project
28. Operations and Maintenance of Pampanga Dialysis Centers Project
29. Pampanga Bulk Water Supply Project
30. Operation and maintenance of Palayan City Hospital
31. Digitized traffic system
32. Cavite bus rapid transit system
33. Biñan City digitalized traffic enforcement
34. Unsolicited build-operate-transfer proposal for the long-term water resource development for Metro Manila Project
35. Digitalized traffic enforcement for Bacoor City
36. Negros Occidental bulk water supply project
37. Bacolod Super City Project
38. Uswag condominium complex project
39. Uswag residential building project
40. High-capacity bus system in Iloilo City
41. Establishment of hemodialysis centers in Iloilo provincial and district hospitals
42. San Ramon Newport Project
43. Redevelopment of General Santos City Public Market project
44. Bislig City septage project
45. National single window through an integrated trade facility platform
46. Comprehensive digital housing platform project
47. Special products automated revenue collection system project
48. PRA digitalization project

The certificate issued by Comelec also stated: “This Certificate of Exemption shall not be construed as a waiver on the part of the Comelec to prosecute other election offenses, such as those in Sections 104; 261 (o), (v), and (w) of the Omnibus Election Code, nor does it exempt the certificate recipients from complying with the provisions of the Commission on Audit Circular No. 2013-004.”

The certificate also warns that “any alteration in this document shall invalidate the certificate, and the use of an altered document constitutes a criminal offense.”

Section 261 (v) (1) of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits public officials, employees, including barangay officials and government-owned or controlled corporations, from releasing, disbursing, or expending public funds for public works within 45 days before a regular election and 30 days before a special election—except for maintenance of existing or completed public works projects, work undertaken by contract through public bidding, and emergency work. — DVM, GMA Integrated News