SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OJ,' THE 
REI1UBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
7Ylird Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 2940 
'1'5 
S[P - 8 
1\ 9 :32 
Introduced by Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III 
AN ACT 
AMENDING SECTION 13 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7166, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "AN ACT PROVIDING F'OR 
SYNCHRONIZED NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS AND 
:FOR ELECTORAL REFORMS, AUTHORIZING 
APPROPRIATIONS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES" 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 7166, otherwise known as "An Act Providingfor 
Synchronized National and Local Elections andfor Electoral Reforms, 
Authorizing Appropriations 7herefor, and for Other Purposes," which 
took effect in 1991, limits the campaign expenditure to PI 0.00 for 
President and Vice-President, P5.00 for political parties and independent 
candidates, and P3.00 for other candidates. 
For twenty four years, the amounts limiting the expenses of 
candidates and political parties remained the same. Consequently, 
candidates had difficulty in trying to limit their spending in accordance 
with law because prices of materials and their printing and reproduction, 
mass media advertisements (which are now allowed), transportation, and 
other operational expenses have noticeably increased in the past two 
decades. 
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, there was a 259.5% 
increase in prices of commodities from 1991 to 2015. The value of 
P1.00 in 1991 is now equivalent to P3.60. Also, the National Economic 
and Development Authority projected that the P3.00 used for election-
related spending in 1991 is equivalcnt to P9.1 0 in 2016. These amounts 
show that the allowable limits for campaign spending are really 
outdated, most especially for local candidates who cannot take 
, ,; 
, !' 


advantage of "economies of scale" in their purchase of materials, 
printing requirements, and even mass media placements. 
A concrete proof that candidates are struggling to spend within the 
allowable amounts provided by law is the fact that, as of July 2015, the 
Commission of Elections (COMELEC) is probing 1,400 cases of 
election campaign overspending. COMELEC also announced that it is 
set to file cases for overspending in courts against thirty-six (36) local 
candidates. In fact, COMELEC disqualified Laguna Governor Emilio 
Ramon "E.R." Ejercito for incurring campaign expenses of more than P6 
Million for television advertisements alone when he was allowed to 
spend the total amount of only around P4.5 Million considering that the 
Province of Laguna has a total of 1,525,522 registered voters. 
Therefore, the best way to address the concern of our candidates is 
to increase the amount of their allowable political campaign expenditure. 
But the political parties should not be forgotten. Under existing 
law, they can spend P5.00 per voter in constituencies where they field 
candidates. The political parties arc allowed to spend in order to help 
their candidates. Hence, local candidates with political parties could tap 
and should be encouraged to tap the assistance of their political paJiies. 
Candidates should be aware of the importance of political parties. 
This bill will also be beneficial to the voting public since the 
increase in the allowable campaign expenditure may lead to better 
voter's education and awareness of the background and program of 
government (the "platform") of the candidates. 
In sum, the bill provides for the following increases in the 
authorized aggregate amount for the campaign expenditure of candidates 
and political paliies for every voter currently registered in the 
constituency where the certificate of candidacy was filed: 
• For Candidates with a Political Party or with support from a 
Political Party: 
Position 
From 
To 
President 
PlO.OO 
P20.00 
Vice-President 
PIO.OO 
P15.00 
Senator 
P3.00 
P3.00 
Member, 
P3.00 
P3.00 


House of Representatives (Party-List System) 
Member , 
House of Representatives (Legislative District) 
Governor, Mayor 
Vice-Governor, Vice-Mayor 
Member, 
Sangguniang 
Panlalawigan, 
Sangguniang 
Panlungsod, Sangguniang Bayan 
P3.00 
P3.00 
P3.00 
P3.00 
• For Political Parties: from P5.00 to P20.00; and 
PIO.OO 
PIO.OO 
P8.00 
P5.00 
• For Candidates without any Political Party or without support 
from any Political Paliy: from P5.00 to PIO.OO; 
As shown above, the respective amounts for single-seat positions 
are more than the respective amounts for multiple-seat positions. The 
reason for this is that the chances for winning a multiple-seat position 
are higher than a single-seat. Consequently, there is a need to spend 
more on the campaign for single-seat positions as said candidates have 
to concentrate on reaching out and properly presenting platforms to all 
constituents. 
In addition, the respective amounts for local candidates are more 
than the respective amounts for national candidates because of the fact 
that the amounts assigned to the national candidates are multiplied on a 
nationwide scale by more than fifty million registered voters. 
Notwithstanding the amounts provided above, it is the position of 
the author of this proposed measure that the amount of the allowable 
campaign expenditure of candidates for barangay elective positions 
should remain at P3.00 for every registered considering that barangay 
elections are non-partisan. 
The amendment on the last paragraph of Section 13 of R.A. No. 
7166 merely substituted the term "gift tax" with "donor's tax" which is 
the proper term as used in the National Internal Revenue Code, as 
amended. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly 
requested. 
f6 .~~. __ fk---A \S 
AQUfLi~O 4KOKO,;-'p'iMENTEL III 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
S. B. No. 2940 
'15 
SEP -8 A 9 :32 
Introduced by Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III 
AN ACT 
AMENDING SECTION 13 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7166, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR 
SYNCHRONIZED NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS AND 
FOR ELECTORAL REFORMS, AUTHORIZING 
APPROPRIATIONS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Section 13(a) of Republic Act No. 7166, is hereby 
2 
amended to read as follows: 
3 
4 
"Section 13. Authorized Expenses of Candidates and 
5 
Political Parties.-The aggregate amount that a candidate or 
6 
registered political party may spend for election campaign 
7 
shall be as follows: 
8 
9 
(a) 
For candidates. - [Ten pesos (PIO.OO)] TWENTY 
10 
PESOS (P20.00) for President; FIFTEEN PESOS (PIS.00) 
11 
FOR [and] Vice-President; [and for other candidates] Three 
12 
pesos (P3.00) for SENATOR AND PARTY-LIST; FOR 
13 
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
14 
REPRESENTING 
A 
LEGISLATIVE 
DISTRICT, 
15 
GOVERNOR, AND MAYOR, TEN PESOS (PIO.OO) 
16 
[every voter currently registered in the constituency where he 
17 
filed his certificate of candidacy: Provided, That a candidate 
18 
without any political patty and without support from any 
19 
political party may be allowed to spend Five Pesos (PS:OO) 


1 
for every such voter]; FOR VICE-GOVERNOR AND 
2 
VICE-MAYOR, EIGHT PESOS (P8.00); FOR MEMBER 
3 
OF 
SANGGUNIANG 
PANLALAWIGAN, 
4 
SANGGUNIANG 
PANLUNGSOD, 
AND 
5 
SANGGUNIANG SAYAN, FIVE PESOS (PS.OO) FOR 
6 
EVERY VOTER CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE 
7 
CONSTITUTENCY WHERE THE CERTIFICATE OF 
8 
CANDIDACY IS FILED; 
9 
10 
(b) 
For political parties. - TWENTY PESOS [Five 
11 
pesos (PS.OO)] for every voter currently registered in the 
12 
constituency or constituencies 
where 
it 
has 
official 
13 
candidates[.]; AND 
14 
15 
(C) FOR 
CANDIDATES 
WITHOUT 
ANY 
16 
POLITICAL PARTY OR WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM 
17 
ANY POLITICAL PARTY. - TEN PESOS (1'10.00) FOR 
18 
EVERY VOTER CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE 
19 
CONSTITUTENCY WHERE THE CERTIFICATE UF 
20 
CANDIDACY IS FILED. 
21 
22 
Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding 
23 
any contribution in cash or in kind to any candidate or 
24 
political party or coalition of parties for campaign purposes, 
25 
duly reported to the Commission shall not be subject to the 
26 
payment of any [gift] DONOR'S tax." 
27 
28 
SECTION 2. Separability Clause. Should any provision of this 
29 
Act or paIi hereof be declared unconstitutional, the other provisions or 
30 
parts not affected thereby shall remain valid and effective. 
31 
32 
SECTION 3. RepeaUnf.; Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, and 
33 
issuances, or portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions 
34 
of this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
35 
36 
SECTION 4. Elfectivily Clau<;e. This Act shall take effect after 
37 
fifteen (15) days from its publication in two (2) newspapers of general 
38 
circulation. 
39 
40 
Approved,