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NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
\   ,     ,\    .-
5230
HOUSE BILL NO.
INTRODUCED BY REP. SANCHO FERNANDO "ANDO" F. OAMINAL
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill  seeks to  increase the  authorized  campaign expenditures  of candidates and
politicalpartiestoamorerealisticlevelinordertomakemoreaccurate,truthfulandappropriate
the  stapeTent  of  contributions   and  expenditures  (SOCE)  that  they  will   submit  to  the
Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
RepublicActNo.7166[explicitlyprovideslimitationsupontheexpensesofcandidates
and of political parties as follows:
ForPresidentandVice-President-Tenpesos(Plo.00);forother
candidates, Three pesos (P3.00) for every voter currently registered in the
constituency where he filed his candidacy; and for a candidate without
any political party and without support from any political party - Five
pesos (P5.00) for every such voter; and
For political parties -Five pesos (P5.00) for every voter currently
registered  in  the  constituency   or  constituencies   where   it  has  official
candidates.
It  is  worthy  to  consider  that  the  purchasing  power  of  the  Philippine  peso  has
continuouslydiminishedfromthetimeRepublicActNo.7166tookeffectmorethanthree(3)
decadesagoor].n1991tobeexactuptothepresenttimeduetonumerouseconomicfactors.
Thus, there is ? need therefore, considering the time and economic factors, to increase
the authorized campaign expenditures for the positions of President and Vice-President from
Plo.00toP50.00,forothercandidatesfromP3.00toP20.00andforpoliticalpartiesfromP5.00
to P25.00, if only to update the herein amounts to its present value.
The loud and growing clamor to adjust the poll  spending cap did not only
come   from   the   candidates,   political   parties   and   COMELEC   but   even   from
international    election    observers,    in    fact,    Pro-democracy    non-government
organization  (NGO),  Carter Center,  which was  one  of international observers
1  AN  ACT  PROVIDING  FOR  SYNCHRONIZED  NATIONAL  AND  LOCAL  ELECTIONS  AND  FOR ELECTORAL
REFORMS,AUTHORIZINGAPPROPRIATIONSTHEREFOR,ANDFOROTHERPURPOSES.


during  the  2016  National  and  Local  Elections  noted  the   "unrealistically   low"
spending  limits  for  candidates  and  political  parties  in  the  country.  The  Center,
i,: it.? [epor1, vi?wed th.at CCAll   mission  interlocutors  agree  that` the  spendi-n&
.limit.s  .imposed   on^_elec~tion   campaigns   are   unreali`itically   low
candldates  are ln effect forced to file false declaratlons of exp'enses
For these reasons, the approval of
SANCH0 FERNAND
2nd District of
d    thcLt
NDO" F. OAMINAL
mis Occidental
2  The  Carter  Center  (2016).  Limited  Election  Observation  Mission  to  the  Philippines  June  2016  Statement.
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NINETEENTH CONGRES S
First Regular Session
HOusEBIi,i,ira.      523o
INTRODUCED BY REP. SANCHO FERNANDO "ANDO" F. OAMINAL
ANACT
INCREASING     THE     AUTHORIZED     CAMPAIGN     EXPENSES     OF
CANDIDATES     AND     POLITICAL     PARTIES,     AMENDING     FOR     THE
PURPOSE  SECTION  13  0F  REPUBLIC  ACT  NO.  7166,  ENTITLED,  "AN  ACT
PROVIDING  FOR  SYCHRONIZED  NATIONAL  AND  LOCAL  ELECTIONS
AND   FOR   ELECTORAL   REFORMS,   APPROPRIATING   THEREFOR,   AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
P_:..i_i.senac,i.:d  _b.y...th?   Se_na!e   and   the   House   of
Representatives  of the  Philippines  in  Congress  assembled:
SECTION  1.  Section  13  of Republic  Act  No.  7] 66  entitled  "ANACTPROVIDING
FOR  syNcmoNlzED  NATloNAL  AND  LocAL  ELECTIONs   AND  FOR  ELECTORAL
REFORMS, AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATIONS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"
is  hereby  amended to read as follows:
"Se...13. Authorized  Expenses  of Candidates  and  Political
ParfJ.es.  -The  aggregate  amount that  a candidate  or registered political
party may spend for election  campaign  shall  be as follows:
For    candidates.    -    [Ten]     FIFTY    pesos    I(10.00)I    (P50.00)   for
President   and   Vice-President;   and   for   other   candidates,   [Three]
TWENTY  pesos  I(P3.00)I  (P20.00)  for  every voter  currently registered
in   the   constituency   where   he   filed   his   candidacy;   Provided,   That   a
candidate   without   any  political   party   and   without   support   from   any
political   party  may   be   allowed   to   spend   [Five]    TWENTY-FIVE
pesos  [(P5.00)]  (P25.00) for  every  such  voter;  and
For   political   parties.   -   [Five]    TWENTY-FIVE  pesos   [(5.00)]
(P2S.00)     for     every      voter      currently      registered      in      the
constituency  or  constituencies  where  it  has  official   candidates.
Any   provision    of   law   to   the   contrary   notwithstanding    any
contribution  in  cash  or  in  kind  to  any  candidate  or  political party or
coalition    of   parties    for    campaign    purposes,    duly    reported    to    the
Commission  shall  not be  subject to the  payment of any gift tax."


SEC.  2.  The  Commission  on  Elections  (COMELEC)  shall  issue  the  necessary
rules  and regulations  to  implement this  amendment.
SEC.  3.  All  laws,  presidential  decrees,  executive  orders,  rules  and  regulations
which   are   inconsistent   with   this   Act   are   hereby   amended,   repealed  or  modified
accordingly.
SEC.  4.  This  Act  shall  take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  after  its  publication
in  tbe  Official  Gazette  or  in  a  newspaper  of  general  circulation.
Approved,
2