Press Release
December 6, 2008

Gordon wants gov't to pay for campaign among presidential candidates

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today proposed that the government should shoulder the expenses for the electoral campaign of serious presidential candidates.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate constitutional amendments committee, said his proposal is aimed at leveling the playing field among presidentiables, adding it is unfair that only candidates with sufficient campaign funds can hog the air times.

"The government should pay for the campaign expenses of the legitimate presidential candidates to even the playing field for all the candidates. What's happening now is that candidates who have the means spend so much for their campaign," he said.

"If the government would shoulder the expenses, then all the candidates would have an equal opportunity to air their programs of governance and the voters would be able to make intelligent choices," he added.

The senator said that this way the country would also avoid the situation where the top official of the land is beholden to those who contributed to his campaign fund and thus, making it difficult for him to deny favors they asked.

"What usually happens is that a candidate gets campaign funds from supporters and when he eventually wins and assumes the post, people who contributed to his campaign kitty will come to him for favors and he would not be able to deny them," he said.

Gordon said candidates who have the means can also pay for his own campaign but they have to be transparent, adding the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be very strict in implementing the limit for campaign expenses.

"Fine, if they want to spend their own money. But they should be transparent. And the Comelec should strictly monitor by having weekly audits to ensure that they are keeping to the expense limit," he said.

"At present, candidates are required to submit their campaign expenses after the elections and only a few comply. The Comelec should be more strict than that," he added.

The senator added that if all candidates who did not campaign but took campaign funds provided by the government will be made to refund them then it would also effectively discourage nuisance candidates from filing their certificates of candidacy.

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