HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

RECEIVED
wn! 1s 2016

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By:

. REGISTRATION i
Seventeenth Congress BILLS AND IEE X §

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO, 8411

Introduced by Honorable Peter “Sr. Pedro” M. Unabia

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘This bill seeks to increase the authorized election campaign expenses of
candidates and political parties by amending Section 13 of Republic Act (RA) No.
7166 entitled, “An Act Providing for the Synchronized National and Local
Elections and for Electoral Reforms, Authorizing Appropriations Therefor, And
For Other Purposes.”

Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 otherwise known as the “Omnibus Election Code
of the Philippines,” which was enacted in 1985, allows a candidate to spend for his
election campaign an aggregate amount of not exceeding one peso and fifty
centavos (P1.50) for every voter currently registered in the constituency where he
filed his certificate of candidacy. The accredited political party, is also allowed to
spend a similar amount for the election campaign of its candidates.

In 1991, RA 7166 was enacted which increased the authorized expenditures
of candidates and political parties for every voter to P10.00 for President and Vice-
President, P5.00 for political parties and independent candidates, and P3.00 for
other candidates.

To this day, almost 25 years after RA 7166 took effect, the amounts limiting
the expenses of candidates and political parties are still the same. The
commissioners of the Commission on Elections are urging the members of
Congress to pass a law that will increase the authorized election campaign
expenditures of candidates and political parties to a more realistic level in the light
of economic developments that have an erosive effect on the purchasing power of



the Philippine peso. This will save the candidates from facing election offense
charges punishable with up to six years imprisonment and disqualification from
holding public office. This will also encourage candidates to declare their true and

actual election campaign expenses in their Statement of Contributions and
Expenditures.

In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this bill is earnestly
recommended.



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Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

4
HOUSE BILLNO. 341t

Introduced by Honorable Peter “Sr. Pedro” M. Unabia

AN ACT
INCREASING THE AUTHORIZED ELECTION CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
OF CANDIDATES AND POLITICAL PARTIES, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7166, ENTITLED, “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 House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION. 1. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7166 is hereby amended
to read as follows:

“Sec. 13. Authorized Expenses of Candidates and Political
Parties. — The aggregate amount that a candidate or registered political party
may spend for election campaign shall be as follows:

s (P10.00)] ONE HUNDRED
PESOS (P100.00) for President; [and] SEVENTY PESOS (P70.00) FOR
Vice-President; SIXTY PESOS (P60.00) FOR SENATOR AND PARTY-
LIST REPRESENTATIVES; FIFTY PESOS (P50.00) FOR A MEMBER

(a) For candidates. — [Ten pes



10

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13

14

15

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OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTING A
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT, GOVERNOR, MAYOR and [for] other
LOCAL candidate[s], [Three Pesos (P3.00)] for every voter currently
registered in the constituency where he filed his certificate of candidacy:
Provided, That|,] a candidate without any political party and without support
from any political party may be allowed to spend [Five Pesos (P5.00)]
THIRTY PESOS (P30.00) for every such voter; and

(b) For political parties. — [Five pesos (P5.00)] FORTY PESOS
(P40.00) 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. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other

issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act

are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication

in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,