MANILA – The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that would increase the limit of election campaign expenses a candidate or a political party can spend per voter.
With 213 affirmative votes, six negative votes and one abstention on Monday night, the lower house has passed House Bill 6095, amending Section 13 of Republic Act 7166, or the act providing for the synchronized national and local elections.
Under the bill, the amount of authorized election campaign expenses of candidates and political parties will be increased to a “more realistic level” to encourage the candidates to declare their true and actual election campaign spending.
The aggregate amount of election campaign expenses of a candidate or political party for every voter will be P50 from previous P10 for president and vice president, P50 for senators and P30 from P3 for other candidates.
From the previous P5, the political parties, meanwhile, will be allowed to spend P50 for the respective national candidates and P30 for local candidates per voter.
The measure mandates the Commission on Elections, in consultation with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the National Economic Development Authority, and the Philippine Statistics Authority to adjust the amount of authorized election campaign expenses every six years considering inflation and consumer price index.
Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Arlene Brosas, however, have expressed opposition to the measure, as this will only give more advantage to candidates who have the means to run for office.
“This measure distorts the already skewed election playing field, to the benefit of rich and powerful political families who have the means to max out their campaign expenses, while eligible ordinary Filipinos had to make do with limited exposure,” she said./PN
