LAPID: GASTOS SA CAMPAIGN EXPENSES, DAPAT ITAAS!

PARA matugunan ang epekto ng inflation sa gastusin ng mga kandidato sa electoral campaigns, naghain si Sen. Lito Lapid ng panukalang batas para dagdagan ang campaign expenses sa national at local elections sa bansa.

Sa Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2460, bibigyan din ng mandato ang Commission on Elections (COMELEC) na mag-update o magtakda ng limitasyon sa campaign expenses depende sa pabago-bagong economic condition dahil sa inflation.

Aamyendahan ng SBN 2460 ang Republic Act No. 7166 o ang "Synchronized National and Local Elections and for Electoral Reforms Act of 1991," na nagtatakda ng campaign expenses ng bawat kandidato sa halalan.

"Mahigit tatlong dekada na po mula nang isabatas ang R.A No. 7166, at ang tatlong piso hanggang sampung pisong limitasyon sa campaign expenses kada botante ay wala na pong halaga ngayon," paliwanag ni Supremo sa Batang Quiapo

Sa nakalipas na ilang taon, sumadsad na ang halaga ng piso dahil sa inflation na nagdulot ng pagtaas sa gastusin sa mga aktibidad sa kampanya, kabilang na rito ang advertising, transportation at campaign materials.

"Sa pamamagitan po ng pag-a-update ng mga gastusin sa kampanya, layunin nating gawing mas makatotohanan ang badyet sa kampanya at sumasalamin sa umiiral na presyo ng mga produkto at serbisyo," dagdag pa ng Senador mula sa Pampanga.

Katwiran pa ni Lapid na matagal ng nakabinbin ang panukala sa Senado simula pa noong ika-16 na balangkas ng Kongreso.

Kung naisabatas umano ito noon pa, giit ni Lapid na mapapakinabangan sana ito ng mga kandidato sa nalalapit na Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) sa October 30.

Nagbabala si Lapid na ang luma ng batas sa "allowable campaign expenses" ay maghihikayat lang sa mga kandidato at political parties na mag- "underreport" o dayain ang ulat sa kanilang aktwal na gastusin sa kampanya.

Sakaling maging ganap na batas, naniniwala si Lapid na mababawasan ang pandaraya ng mga kandidato o political parties sa pagsusumite ng campaign expenditure reports.

Sa ilalim pa rin SBN 2460, ang campaign expense limits sa bawat botante para sa presidential candidate ay P50, vice-president ay P40 at P30 para sa senator, district representative, governor, vice-governor, board member, mayor, vice-mayor, councilor, at party-list representative.

Hindi naman pinalitan sa ilalim ng panukala ang P5 limitasyon sa mga independent candidate.

Para sa political parties, itinaas ang ceiling cap mula sa P5 ay gagawin ng P30 sa bawat botante.

Binibigyan ng mandato ang Comelec, katuwang ang Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas(BSP), National Economic and Development Authority(NEDA) at Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) para magbago ng limitasyon sa campaign expense kada botante base sa inflation rate at consumer price index.

LAPID FILES BILL RAISING CAMPAIGN EXPENSES CAP

To reflect the effects of inflation on the costs associated with electoral campaigns, Sen. Lito Lapid has filed a bill increasing the authorized campaign expenses of candidates in national and local elections.

In his explanatdory note, Lapid said Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2460 also empower the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to periodically updatea these limits in response to changing economic conditions.

SBN 2460 will amend Republic Act No. 7166, otherwise known as the "Synchronized National and Local Elections and for Electoral Reforms Act of 1991," which currently governs the allowable campaign expenses for candidates participating in Philippine elections.

"Mahigit tatlong dekada na po mula nang isabatas ang RA 7166, at ang tatlong piso hanggang sampung pisong limit na campaign expenses kada botante ay wala na pong halaga ngayon (It's been more than three decades since RA 7166 was enacted, and the three pesos to ten pesos campaign expenses limit per voter is worthless now," Lapid said.

Over the years, the purchasing power of the Philippine peso has diminished, leading to an increase in the cost of various campaign-related activities, including advertising, transportation, and campaign materials.

"Sa pamamagitan po ng pag-a-update ng mga gastusin sa kampanya, layunin nating gawing mas makatotohanan ang badyet sa kampanya at sumasalamin sa umiiral na presyo ng mga produkto at serbisyo (By updating these allowable expenses, we aim to make the campaign budget more realistic and reflective of the prevailing prices of goods and services)," he said.

This proposal has long been overdue, having been filed since the 16th Congress. Had this been passed during the previous Congresses, cadidates in the coming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) this coming October 30 would benefit from it.

Lapid stressed that outdated allowable campaign expenses may inadvertently encourage candidates and political parties to underreport their actual campaign expenditures. This can undermine the transparency and accountability of the electoral process.

By adjusting the allowable expenses to align with current economic realities, we intend to minimize, if not eliminate, any motivation to falsify campaign expenditure reports, he said.

Under SBN 2460, the candidates' campaign expense limits would be P50 for president, P40 for vice president and P30 for senator, district representative, governor, vice governor, board member, mayor, vice mayor, councilor, and party-list representative for every voter registered in the constituency where the candidate filed his certificate of candidacy.

The proposed amendment does not change the limit for independent candidates, which is P5 for every voter.

For political parties, the expense ceiling would go up from P5 to P30 for every voter in the constituency where they have official candidates.

The bill authorizes the Comelec, in consultation with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the National Economic and Development Authority and the Philippine Statistics Authority, to adjust the campaign expense limits per registered voter based on the inflation rate and consumer price index.

The Comelec is also mandated to issue implementing rules and regulations.