Manila, April 13 -- Concerns over the constitutionality of using election funds for crisis response may be addressed through a "savings" mechanism, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said Monday, referring to the budget allocated for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

Lacson said funds allocated to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cannot be realigned to other agencies, but unspent allocations may be declared as savings and returned to the National Treasury for other uses.

"Funds allocated to the Comelec cannot be realigned to items outside it because that would be unconstitutional. But the allocations can still be treated as savings," Lacson said.

He said the Comelec may opt not to spend funds intende...