‘Raise campaign fund ceiling, cut graft’

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker is pushing for amendments in the country’s election laws to allow higher ceilings in campaign spending of candidates and political parties to minimize corruption.

Baguio City Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. filed House Bill 2362, which seeks to amend Section 13 of Republic Act 7166 – otherwise known as the synchronized national and local elections – and for electoral reforms.

The filing came as Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon Ejercito continued to battle his disqualification from his post by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for alleged overspending in the local elections last May.

The Comelec said Ejercito spent P6 million for television advertisements in one network alone when he was only authorized to spend P4.5 million for the entire 90-day campaign.

Aliping said there is a possibility that candidates might have resorted to understatement of expenses in their statements of election contributions and expenditures (SECEs) just to comply with the reportorial requirements.

“The ceiling pegged under present laws on authorized expenses of candidates and political parties for campaign purposes is unrealistic and should be increased,” Aliping said.

Under the bill, candidates running for president, vice president, and senator are allowed to spend P30 per voter while those running for the House of Representatives, provincial governor and vice governor, and city and municipal mayor and vice mayor can only spend P20.

Candidates without any political party and without support from any political party may be allowed to spend P20 for every voter.

Likewise, political parties and party-list groups can only spend P20 for every voter currently registered in the constituency or constituencies where they have official candidates.

Aliping said under Section 100 and 101 of the Omnibus Election Code or the Batasang Pambansa Blg. 881 in 1985, the limit on expenses of candidates and political parties was pegged at P1.50 for every registered voter.

The limit was raised in 1991 under RA 7166 to P10 for President and vice president, P5 for political parties and independent candidates, and P3 or other candidates. 

“It remained unchanged until the recent 2013 elections,” Aliping said.

Aliping said the understatement by candidates of their campaign expenses affects revenues, “and the effect is apparent once the sworn SECEs submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are furnished to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).”