Comelec offers to bare Leila De Lima’s SOCE

Sen. Leila de Lima. ARNOLD ALMACEN/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Commission on Elections is ready to provide the statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) of embattled Sen. Leila de Lima should it be needed in any investigation.

Comelec chairperson Andres Bautista noted that the SOCE is a public document, and that the poll body is prepared to submit the document should there be a need for it.

“The SOCE is a public document, so if this is asked of us by the committees in the House of Representatives or the Senate, we’re ready to furnish them a copy,” he said on Friday.

Bautista issued the statement after convicted inmates presented before the House of Representatives claimed that they were involved in raising funds for De Lima’s senatorial campaign.

In particular, convicted inmate and drug lord Herbert Colanggo alleged that money from illegal drugs was used in the senator’s campaign kitty, adding that De Lima received millions each month.

Candidates and political parties were required by the Comelec to submit their SOCE 30 days after election day.

De Lima’s SOCE showed that she had a total contribution of P86,831,095; with expenditures pegged at P88,153,300.

In an interview with reporters, Bautista said the Comelec cannot evaluate the SOCE that De Lima submitted to them, beyond what the law mandates.

“The Comelec does not know who are the drug pushers or drug kings, we don’t have a list of that. We don’t receive any confidential information on that. So we don’t have the technical know-how to make that determination,” he said.