THE ₱50 MILLION QUESTION IN DASMARIÑAS

Dasmariñas will hold a special congressional election on August 29. Comelec says the exercise may cost close to ₱200 million, and the city government has already provided ₱50 million to help pay for it.

The mayor of Dasmariñas, Jennifer Austria-Barzaga, is one of the five candidates. Her son, Vice Mayor Elpidio “Third” Barzaga III, represented the city government during the turnover of the funds.

Comelec says the financial assistance is lawful and will mainly help pay the teachers and other personnel who will serve during the election. The public record I reviewed contains no proof that the payment bought influence, changed a vote, or gave any candidate control over the count.

Even so, the arrangement raises a fair question.

Should a constitutional commission accept money from a city government led by the immediate family of someone running in the election?

WHERE THIS STARTED

The special election became necessary after the House expelled Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga on June 2, 2026.

The House voted 265-14, with eight abstentions, after repeated disciplinary action against him. He had already served two separate 60-day suspensions over conduct that the House said violated its rules and code of conduct.

Comelec later confirmed that expulsion did not permanently bar Kiko from seeking public office. He could still have filed for the seat he lost.

He never did.

Five candidates completed the filing process: Jennifer Austria-Barzaga, former vice mayor Rex Mangubat, Marvin Opamin Dupal-ag, Leysander Aguilar, and Jacinto Bautista Frani Jr.

Jennifer is the only Barzaga on the ballot. The family connection still surrounds the race because the vacant seat and the two highest elective offices in Dasmariñas have all been held by members of the same immediate family.

THE BARZAGA HOLD ON DASMARIÑAS

Jennifer’s husband, Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga Jr., served as both mayor of Dasmariñas and representative of the city’s congressional district. He died on April 27, 2024, following complications from heart surgery.

Jennifer was already serving as mayor at the time of his death. Their son Kiko later won the congressional seat in the 2025 elections, while Third became vice mayor.

That placed the district’s House seat, the mayoralty, and the vice mayoralty within one household.

Kiko’s expulsion opened the congressional seat again. Jennifer then filed her candidacy for the special election, while Third remained vice mayor and represented the city government during the ₱50 million turnover to Comelec.

None of that makes the transfer illegal on its own. It does explain why the transaction cannot be treated as an ordinary contribution from an LGU with no direct political connection to the race.

Jennifer is the incumbent mayor. Her son is vice mayor. The city government they lead is helping pay for the election she is trying to win.

WHY COMELEC NEEDED HELP

Comelec’s explanations about the election budget changed as preparations moved forward.

Malacañang initially said the commission had enough money to conduct the special election. Comelec had placed the estimated cost at around ₱191 million, while later reports put it closer to ₱198 million.

The commission then acknowledged that funding was a problem.

The national budget reportedly contained only around ₱11 million for special elections. Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the commission would need savings, budget realignments, and help from the Dasmariñas city government to cover the full cost.

The city agreed to provide ₱50 million. Garcia said the money would be used mainly to pay teachers and other electoral board members serving during the special election.

Comelec and the city government signed a memorandum of agreement during the turnover in July. Third Barzaga represented city hall at the event.

Days later, an ABS-CBN News report said a Comelec official was seeking ₱191.89 million from the national Contingent Fund for the same election.

That request needs a fuller explanation.

The ₱191.89 million figure is close to Comelec’s original estimate for the entire special election. Public reporting does not clearly show whether the national request already accounts for the ₱50 million from Dasmariñas or whether the city contribution would remain separate.

The two sources of money may cover different expenses. The Contingent Fund request may also replace money Comelec initially planned to obtain through internal savings and realignments.

Those possibilities are reasonable. The public should not have to work them out from scattered statements and news reports.

Comelec should release one funding plan showing the total cost of the election, the amount coming from the national government, the city’s ₱50 million contribution, and the expenses assigned to each source.

THE “LEGAL BRIBERY” ACCUSATION

A Facebook page called Calabarzon Connect described the city’s ₱50 million assistance as “legal bribery in broad daylight.”

Comelec rejected the accusation. The commission said bribery could never be legal and defended the transfer as legitimate financial assistance from the local government.

The phrase made an accusation that the available evidence does not prove.

I found no document, testimony, or credible report showing that Comelec accepted the money in exchange for favoring Jennifer Barzaga. There is also no evidence that the city government gained control over the ballots, electoral boards, canvassing, or vote count.

City hall does not administer the election. Comelec does.

The controversy remains because Comelec answered the most extreme accusation without publishing enough information about the transaction itself.

The public still needs to see the authority for the transfer, the complete memorandum of agreement, and the rules governing the use of the money.

WHERE IS THE PAPERWORK?

A written agreement exists. Comelec and the Dasmariñas city government publicly signed a memorandum of agreement during the turnover ceremony.

I have not found the full document in the public sources I reviewed.

That agreement should show which expenses may be charged to the ₱50 million, who controls the account, which officials may approve payments, and what happens to any unused balance after the election.

The city government should also publish the ordinance, resolution, appropriation record, or other authority used to release the funds.

The ₱50 million did not come from the private bank account of the Barzaga family. It came from the city government and belongs to the public.

Taxpayers should be able to see how the expenditure was approved and what conditions were attached to it.

The presence of city council members during the turnover does not replace the need for formal records. A public ceremony shows that the transaction happened. It does not show the legal and budgetary steps that came before it.

THE APPEARANCE PROBLEM

Comelec is an independent constitutional commission. It should have enough national funding to conduct an election without relying on the city government whose mayor is running in it.

The ₱50 million arrangement may have been accepted because the election had to be organized quickly. It may also have been the most practical way to pay teachers and other election workers on time.

Practical convenience cannot remove the need for distance between the election administrator and the local political interests competing for the seat.

The other four candidates are running against the incumbent mayor. Her administration has supplied a large amount of money for the conduct of their election.

Comelec may retain full control over every peso. The candidates may all receive equal treatment. Election workers may perform their duties without interference from city hall.

Those safeguards should be visible rather than assumed.

Public trust is easier to protect when the election body does not depend financially on the local government controlled by a candidate’s immediate family. Once that distance disappears, full disclosure becomes the minimum response.

Comelec’s denial of bribery does not answer how the money will be handled, audited, liquidated, or returned if part of it remains unspent.

WHAT COMELEC SHOULD RELEASE

Comelec should publish the complete memorandum of agreement before August 29.

It should also release a consolidated election budget showing how the ₱50 million city contribution fits with the reported ₱191.89 million Contingent Fund request and the commission’s other available funds.

The city government should publish the local measure authorizing the transfer. That document should identify the source of the appropriation and the officials responsible for releasing it.

After the election, Comelec should release a full liquidation report. Voters should be able to see how much was spent on electoral board honoraria, logistics, printing, security, transport, and other election expenses.

Any unused balance should be identified and returned or handled according to the published agreement and applicable audit rules.

These disclosures would not interfere with the election. They would help protect it.

THE QUESTION THAT REMAINS

On August 29, Dasmariñas voters will choose among five candidates for Congress.

One of those candidates is the mayor. Her son is vice mayor, and the city government they lead has provided Comelec with ₱50 million for the election.

No criminal exchange appears in the public record I reviewed. The arrangement still places Comelec in a position where voters are being asked to trust safeguards they have not been allowed to inspect.

The commission can answer the criticism through documents rather than another press statement.

Release the memorandum of agreement. Show the authority for the transfer. Explain how the national and local funds fit together. Publish the liquidation report after the election.

The ₱50 million may have been spent properly from beginning to end.

The public should not have to take that on faith.

I leave you with this question: Is it normal for Comelec to accept financial assistance from a local government led by a candidate in the election it is administering?