Osmeña fails to meet poll expense deadline, says sorry to Comelec

Senator Sergio "Serge" Osmeña III on Thursday apologized to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for failing to submit his statement of contributions and expenditures before the June 24 deadline. "I apologize to the Comelec for the delay," Osmeña told reporters during a weekly forum at the Senate. Although he always filed poll expense reports on time, these elections were "special" because he also had to handle President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's campaign, Osmeña said. "My files were really messed up because I was also handling Noynoy's campaign and it was in the same room, in the same office," he said. He added that he did not have a full-time bookkeeper during the campaign because he was not an incumbent senator. Some of his staff and his donors went on vacation so he could not put together all the documents needed, he said. "It's just a matter of putting things together (because) it's just been very, very messy," he said, noting that he just wants to be "accurate" in his report. "A lot people will just write anything there," he said. Comelec Resolution 8944 requires candidates to submit a statement of contributions they received and expenditures they incurred during the campaign period. It says that "no person elected to any public office shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed the statement of contributions and expenditures herein required." It likewise says that failure to file the statement will constitute an administrative offense, which is punishable by a fine ranging from P1,000 to P30,000 at the discretion of the Comelec. It says that for the second offense, the punishment will be payment of a fine from P2,000 to P60,000, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office. Willing to pay fine At the same forum, Osmeña said he will just pay the fine. "Masakit (It hurts) but i have to pay the fine... that's the law," he said, adding that he plans to file his expenditure report by the end of the month. He is the only winning candidate among the 18 presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial bets in the 2010 elections who failed to file their expenditure reports before the June 24 deadline. The Comelec had earlier said that no candidate has yet been disqualified for failing to submit an expenditure report. Most candidates choose to pay the fine, the Comelec said. — Kimberly Jane T. Tan, RJAB Jr., RSJ, GMANews.TV