Isko Moreno suggests rules for excess campaign funds

MANILA, Philippines — If presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso would have his way, the government must have a set of rules on what future candidates should do with unspent excess campaign funds.

“In the future, we must set rules that would guide all future candidates,” Moreno said regarding the disposition of leftover campaign funds during yesterday’s “Panata sa Bayan” presidential forum organized by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

The issue of his admission, in a previous interview, that he kept around P50 million in excess campaign funds after his failed senatorial bid in 2016 came up when One News anchor and forum panelist Roby Alampay asked Moreno if he thought what he did was right.

“It might be unique for you because I think there was no candidate yet who publicized and declared such excess and paid taxes,” Moreno answered in Filipino.

Asked if he had thought of another way of dealing with the big amount in his hands, the Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer pointed out that paying taxes derived from the unspent campaign funds was what he did at the time as an “obedient citizen.”