Sara Duterte spent P216 million for campaign

MANILA, Philippines — Vice president-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio has filed her Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), declaring to have spent over P216 million for her campaign.

A copy of Duterte-Carpio’s SOCE yesterday showed that she spent P216,190,935.06 during the campaign period for the May 9 polls, which also appeared to be the total contributions she received from her political party, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, and from “other sources.”

Filed a day before the June 8 deadline, Duterte-Carpio’s SOCE showed that she received P136,609,244.91 “in-kind contributions” from Lakas-CMD and P79,581,690.15 from other sources. Her SOCE showed she did not spend a centavo of personal money.

The outgoing Davao City mayor joined Lakas last November after filing her candidacy for a national post, however keeping chairmanship of the regional Hugpong ng Pagbabago after a brief resignation. She co-chairs Lakas with Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.

Losing presidential bet Sen. Manny Pacquiao also filed his SOCE, which showed that he spent a total of P119,128,914.14, of which P62,677,926.12 came from his own pocket, P7,750,000 in contributions and P48,700,988.02 “in-kind contributions.”

Pacquiao also declared to have received a total of P56,450,988.02 contributions, which covers P7,750,000.00 from “cash contributions received from other sources” and P48,700,988.02 “in-kind contributions received from other sources.”

Sen. Leila de Lima, who lost in the senatorial race, also filed her SOCE where she declared to have spent P7,402,609.01 and received contributions totaling P7,405,000.

The Comelec’s Campaign Finance Office (CFO) has so far received the SOCEs of presidential bets Pacquiao, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Jose Montemayor, Vice President Leni Robredo, president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

For vice president, the Comelec received the SOCE of Duterte-Carpio, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Vicente Sotto III, Dr. Willie Ong, Rep. Lito Atienza and former lawmaker Walden Bello, while the senators-elect who filed their SOCEs were Loren Legarda, Win Gatchalian, Chiz Escudero, Mark Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada and Robin Padilla.

The Comelec CFO has also received the respective SOCEs of several party-list groups.

The Comelec told reporters in a Viber message that yesterday’s deadline “is final and non-extendible, except for winning candidates and party-list groups” as stated under Comelec Resolution No. 10505 that governs campaign finance and disclosure.

“Winning candidates who fail to file SOCE are barred from assuming office. The office of an elected candidate who failed to file their SOCE shall be deemed vacant until they have complied and submitted their SOCE within a period of six months from proclamation,” the Comelec said.

After the lapse of such period, a permanent vacancy occurs, it added.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, a presidential or vice presidential candidate was allowed to spend up to P10 per voter or a total of P675 million based on about 67.5 million registered voters for the May 9, 2022 elections.

A political party, meanwhile, was allowed to spend up to P5 per voter or a total of P337 million based on the number registered voters for the May 9 elections.