Press Release
January 29, 2016

POE: CAMPAIGN DONORS WON'T GET ANYTHING BUT LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

Even as she rallies support for her presidential bid, independent candidate Sen. Grace Poe said her campaign backers and donors would have no advantage over those who do not back her candidacy, if she does win.

Poe made the remark in response to a question on campaign funding for her and her running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, who is also running independently.

"They are individuals. Some are friends, some are family members. What's clear to them is, whoever gives, kung meron man silang hihingin, ang mahihingi lang nila sakin ay level playing field. Lebel tayong lahat, hindi kita aapihin o bibigyan ng advantage. Hindi kita lalamangan," Poe said at a forum hosted by San Beda College and CNN Philippines.

She said nobody, thankfully, has sought anything from her or Escudero.

"Siguro ilang din sila samin kasi alam nila na hindi kami ganung klaseng kandidato," Poe said.

She said she understands that businesses need to be assured that they would have a fair chance when they invest in the country, which could use the jobs and other opportunities stemming from more investments.

Philippine laws allow a presidential and vice-presidential candidate to spend P10 per voter for their campaign, which is on top of the P5 per voter that their political parties can spend on their behalf. Independent candidates, however, can only spend P5 per voter.

Poe, who ran independently for the Senate in 2013 and garnered the highest number of votes in Philippine electoral history, said she had also wondered about where candidates get their funding when she was still not part of government.

"That's a very valid concern. When I was not yet in government, that was also what I wondered about," she said.

Poe and Escudero lead Partido Galing at Puso, a coalition which has a complete roster of senatorial bets, some independent, some from other political parties.

News Latest News Feed