Business tycoons funded Erap campaign - records

Several big-time businessmen funded former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada's failed reelection bid, according to his expenditure report submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). In a poll expense report filed late Tuesday, Estrada said that most of the P235,500,000 spent during his campaign were shouldered by prominent business tycoons, including Manuel Pangilinan, Enrique Razon, and William Gatchalian. The report said Razon, chairman of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), Antonio Evangelista of Kanlaon Constructions, and businessman Jaime Dy each gave him P15 million while businessman Jose Yap and Megaworld chief executive officer Andrew Tan — considered as the fourth-richest Filipino in 2007 — gave him P12 million each. Gatchalian, which controls a hotel operator; Pangilinan, chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and the Manila Electric Co., Republic Biscuit Corp. (Rebisco) owner Jack Ng, banker Eric Tagle, and businessmen Eric Lim, Eric King, and Henry Tan gave him P10 million each. Mall chain SM Shoemart and pharmaceutical giant United Laboratories Inc. also gave P10 million to Estrada’s campaign. Estrada also said that he received P4 million from Ortigas Co. Ltd., a real estate company known for developing Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas. Estrada said he shouldered P8 million of his campaign expenditures while his family contributed P20 million to his campaign. According to his breakdown, he spent P112,500,000 in radio and television advertisements, P41,250,000 in traveling expenses, P27,750,000 in salaries for employees, P49.5 million in print campaign materials, and P4.5 million in communication expenses. Comelec Resolution 8944 says that candidates for president and vice president with political parties are only allowed to spend P10 per registered 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. There are about 50.7 million registered voters. The resolution also states that the statement must indicate the amount of contribution, the date of its receipt, and the full name and address of the person who gave the contribution. It should also state the amount of every expenditure, the date it was incurred, the full name and address of the person who paid for it, and the purpose of the expenditure. It should likewise indicate if there is an "unpaid obligation" to any person. The Comelec gave candidates until Thursday to file their expenditure reports. The resolution says 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. - KBK/RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV