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Enrile first senator to file poll-expense report at P143M


Reelected Senator Juan Ponce Enrile became the first senatorial candidate to file his statement of expenses and contributions report, showing he spent more than P143 million during the campaign period in this year's elections. In a document he submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on June 3, Enrile (of the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino) claimed to have spent P143,084,448 in campaign expenses — P137,188,666 in political advertisements and P5,895,782 in printed campaign materials. GMANews.TV obtained a copy of the statement in which Enrile also said that P142 million of his campaign expenditures was supposedly paid for by several contributors, while he shouldered P1,084,443 of the expenses himself. However, Enrile's report showed that his daughter contributed P8.5 million and his grandson Juan Rodrigo Ponce Enrile gave P1.5 million. The document also indicated that the Jaka Group of companies and its affiliates, which are owned by the Enriles, contributed at least P74,216,000. Other candidates On the other hand, losing vice presidential bet Perfecto Yasay (Bangon Pilipinas) claimed to have only spent P1,902,688 during the campaign period — about P237,048 of which came from his pocket. Yasay filed his report on June 7. Defeated senatorial aspirant Rey Langit had also declared that he spent P8,220,000 during the campaign. But he noted in his statement of contributions and expenditures that 90 percent of the funds came from his party Lakas-Kampi-CMD. On the other hand, party-list organizations also submitted their reports, with the Coconut Farmers Association spending P3,230,700; Cocofed Party-list Organization (P250,048); Workers and Peasants Party (P1,150,000); APO Party-list (P1,611,912); Alliance Transport Sector Party-list (P190,812); Abante Bicol (P3,244,185); the Alliance for Community Transformation and Service (P3,934,205); and Alagad Party-list (P2,000,175). The Angat Ating Kabuhayan Pilipinas (ANAK) Party-list was the first party-list group to file an expenditure report with the Comelec. The group said it spent P2.5 million during the campaign period. As of posting time, those who sought the presidency have yet to file their respective expenditures report. Comelec rules Comelec Resolution 8944 says that candidates for president and vice president with political parties are only allowed to spend P10 per voter while other candidates also with parties may spend P3 per voter. On the other hand, candidates without the support of political parties may spend P5 for every voter. The Comelec said that candidates, political parties, and party-list groups have until June 9 to file a statement of all contributions and expenditures in the May elections. Comelec Resolution 8944 also provides that failure to file the statement will prevent a person from assuming office, if he is elected. It added that failure to submit the document will constitute an administrative offense which is punishable by a fine ranging from P1,000 to P30,000 at the discretion of the Comelec. Violation of the spending limit is also an election offense, which is punishable by disenfranchisement, disqualification from holding public office, and imprisonment from one to six years. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV

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