House OKs bill seeking to increase candidates’ spending per voter

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 7295, which seeks to increase the authorized election campaign expenditures of candidates and political parties to a “more realistic level.”

Voting 188-6, without abstentions, the lower chamber approved the bill which proposes the following candidate expenses per voter:

• President:  P50
• Vice President: P40
• Senators, District Representatives, Governors, Vice Governors, Board Members, Mayors, Vice Mayors, and Councilors: P30
• Party-List Representatives: P10

Under the bill, a candidate without any political party and without support from any political party may be allowed to spend P40 for each voter.

The proposed measure aims to encourage candidates to “declare their true and actual election campaign expenses as required by law.”

Under the existing Republic Act 7166, only P10 per voter is allowed for President and Vice President; and P3 for other candidates for every voter currently registered in the constituency where he filed his certificate of candidacy.

Meanwhile, a candidate without any political party and without support from any political party may be allowed to spend P5 for every such voter, and P5 may be allowed for those with political parties. /atm