Independent bet Poe says lack of machinery led to high campaign expenditure

Senator Grace Poe, a defeated presidential candidate, on Thursday attributed her big campaign spending to her being an independent candidate and her lack of a nationwide machinery during the May 9 elections.

"The apparently high amount of expenditures that I incurred for my campaign, as duly reflected in my SOCE and fully covered by campaign donations, reflects my challenging bid as an independent candidate, without the machinery and full backing of a political party, unlike other bets," she said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Based on her SOCE or statement of contributions and expenditures that was submitted to the Commission on Elections on Wednesday, Poe spent P510,845,262.56 — the biggest expenditure — during her campaign. She was followed by Vice President Jejomar Binay with P463,375,216.37.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte spent P371,461,480.23 while Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago shelled out P74,652,689.84.

Administration bet Mar Roxas has yet to file his SOCE as of Thursday.

Poe said the absence of a party and a nationwide political machinery constrained her, as a matter of strategy, to rely extensively on the more expensive media advertising that enabled her to convey her platform of government to the electorate nationwide.

"As an independent, there was no political party to help me defray most of the campaign expenses, a privilege my  opponents enjoyed," she said.

The senator was grateful that "there were supporters generous enough to help me cover the cost of political activities we thought were necessary."

"Well-meaning supporters who genuinely shared my platform of governance which propelled and heightened our campaign, with every Filipino's dream at heart," she said. —KBK, GMA News