Party list with 'Euro general' nominee files first poll expense report

Angat Ating Kabuhayan Pilipinas (ANAK), the party-list group that nominated ex-Philippine National Police (PNP) comptroller Eliseo Dela Paz, is the first, and so far, the only party-list in the May polls to file a statement of contributions and expenditures with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The group claims to have only received P2.5 million from its contributors — a million each from its first and second nominees and P500,000 from its third nominee, a copy of ANAK's statement of election contributions and expenditures obtained by GMANews.TV said. ANAK's first nominee is retired Police Senior Superintendent Eduardo Octaviano, second nominee is Dela Paz, and its third nominee is businessman Oscar Bunyi. Dela Paz, who was part of PNP’s delegation to the Interpol conference in Russia, made headlines in October 2008 after Customs authorities found that he carried an undeclared 105,000 euros (roughly P6.9 million) which he said were sourced from PNP intelligence funds. The party-list group also spent P2.5 million in contributions during the campaign period, which lasted from February 9 until before election day, ANAK's statement said. The group spent P500,000 for campaign materials; P176,000 for communication expenses; P56,678 for transportation expenses; P470,554 for food and water; and P783,768 for salaries and allowances. Earlier in the day, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal reminded candidates to submit their statements of contributions and expenditures before the June 9 deadline. "You have a few more days to do that or there will be consequences," he said, adding that the poll body has ways to find out if contents of a statement are true or not. Under Comelec Resolution 8944, failure to file statement of expenses will prevent a person from assuming office, if ever s/he is elected. Failure to submit the document also constitutes an administrative offense which is punishable by a fine ranging from P1,000 to P30,000, depending on the Comelec. According to the latest tally released by the Comelec, ANAK is currently at 54th place in the party-list race with 141,780 votes. The leading party-list organizations are Ako Bicol with 1,522,986 votes; the Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines with 1,292,182 votes; and the Buhay Hayaan Yumabong Party-list with 1,249,555 votes. The Comelec said that it will proclaim the top 10 winning party-list organizations on Monday. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV