Roxas spent P279M for campaign — Comelec data

Defeated vice presidential bet Manuel Roxas spent some P279 million during the two-month campaign period for the May 10 automated elections, according to the expenditure report his camp submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). In a poll expense report filed late Wednesday, Roxas claims to have only spent P279,351,224, of which P246 million — or more than three-fourths of the amount — was supposedly paid for by contributions. He said he shouldered the remaining expenses. A copy of the senator's campaign contributors obtained by GMANews.TV showed that his mother Judy Roxas, uncle Jorge Araneta, and aunt Maria Fores each gave P50 million for his campaign. 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. However, an earlier report from AGB Nielsen Media Research showed that Roxas had already spent P575.39 million on TV, radio, and print from January to August of last year. The campaign period for the national candidates began on February 9, 2010. From September to December — when Roxas decided to run as vice president to give way to then presidential candidate Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the senator only spent P42.62 million in campaign advertisements. Earlier, the Comelec admitted that it has no way of verifying the authenticity of the expenditure reports. Comelec law department head Ferdinand Rafanan said the job of his department, which is tasked to receive the reports, is ministerial and is just similar to record-keeping. He said the Comelec can only reprimand candidates if they do not submit on time or do not submit a report at all. On Wednesday, the Comelec decided to extend the deadline of the submission of contributions and expenditures until June 24. Comelec Resolution 8944 says 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 resolution says that failure to file the statement will prevent a person from assuming office, if he is elected. 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. In a separate expenditure report, defeated vice presidential bet Bayani Fernando said that he spent P80,081,865.61 during the campaign period. He said that P61 million of his expenditures were paid for by his donors. - RJAB Jr./KBK, GMANews.TV