Bill amending election laws to allow bigger campaign expenses OK’d on 3rd reading

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that would amend election laws to allow a higher ceiling for authorized campaign expenses has been approved by the House of Representatives on the third and final reading.

House Bill No. 8370, which proposes to amend portions of Republic Act No. 7166, was approved during the session on Wednesday after 268 lawmakers voted in the affirmative, three in the negative, and one abstention.

If enacted, Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7166 will be amended to allow the following per-voter expenditures:

• P50 per voter for presidential candidates
• P40 per voter for vice presidential candidates
• P30 per voter for senatorial, district representative, gubernatorial, vice gubernatorial, board member, mayoral, vice mayoral, councilor, and party-list representative candidates

Political parties are allowed to spend P30 for every voter registered in the constituencies.

This was a leap from the current P10 per voter allowed for presidential and vice presidential candidates, P3 per voter for other candidates with political parties, and P5 per voter for those without political parties.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the changes are necessary since the law was enacted in 1991 — 32 years ago — which meant that prices of goods and services have already increased dramatically.

Romualdez also assured that the bill would strengthen democracy, as it would allow people to scrutinize candidates even more.

“This cap was set almost 32 years ago, in November 1991, when the law was enacted. Factoring in annual inflation, a candidate’s P3 or P10 three decades ago may amount to nothing today,” he said in a statement.  “Thus, the need to adjust the expense limit.”

“In that sense, the bill would widen the opportunity for the electorate to scrutinize the aspirants and to eventually choose the best, the brightest, and the most qualified. The proposed law would enhance the exercise of the freedom of suffrage and strengthen democracy,” he claimed.

Some of the bill’s principal authors were Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, Olga Kho, Loedy Tarriela, Augustina Dominique Pancho, Maximo Dalog, Francisco Jose Matugas II, Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, Drixie Mae Cardema, and Manuel Jose Dalipe.

The proposed measure is not new though: in 2013, former Baguio City Rep. Nicasio Aliping, Jr. filed a bill that would increase campaign spending limits, in a bid to address the alleged understatement of candidates.

Several election watchdogs believe that to circumvent laws, some candidates do not declare excessive donations and campaign expenditures.

READ: Law to increase campaign spending limit sought

However, several lawmakers like Senator Koko Pimentel raised fears that the proposal to increase spending limits would only benefit the rich candidates, as election bets with lower income would not get any help from the bill.

RELATED STORIES

The cost of presidential campaigns 

Proposed raising of campaign spending limit will favor rich candidates – Pimentel

je