Lapid spends P10.7M to fund 2019 senatorial bid

To fund his 2019 senatorial bid, Senator-elect Lito Lapid spent P10.7 million, the least amount shelled out by any of the 12 winning Senators.

Based on his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) submitted before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, June 27, Lapid spent P10,578,374.26 of his personal funds on top of P175,700 worth of contributions in kind that he received.

Lapid won a Senate seat even if he was not endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Late filing

However, Lapid was the only one among the 12 Senators who submitted his SOCE beyond the June 13 deadline.

The Comelec-set deadline to filing the statement of expenditures, regardless if the candidate won or lost, lapsed on June 13. But the law allowed winners of the May 2019 polls to file the statement within six months from the May 22 proclamation date.

However, the winning candidates who fail to submit their statement of expenditures by end of June would not be allowed to assume their respective posts.

Lapid garnered 16.9 million votes to finish seventh in the May 2019 senatorial race.

The penalty for late filing ranges from P6,000 to P10,000, depending on the elective post sought by the candidate.

Lapid paid the P10,000 penalty, according to the Comelec’s Campaign Finance Office.

Among the Senate race winners, former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go spent the most—or P161 million—to fund his campaign.

On the heels of Go are: former Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Francis Tolentino (P159 million), Senator Grace Poe (P156 million), Senator Sonny Angara (P153 million), Senator Cynthia Villar (P135 million), Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (P132 million), and former Senator Bong Revilla Jr. (P121.9 million).

The least spenders among the winners in the senatorial race, spending less than P100 million are  former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (P92 million), Senator Koko Pimentel (P79.6 million), Taguig representative Pia Cayetano (P73 million) and Senator Nancy Binay (P56 million). —VDS, GMA News