2022 presidential bets spent less than 2016 counterparts

The 2022 presidential bets spent less than the 2016 presidential candidates, campaign documents showed.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., former Vice President Leni Robredo, former senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson, former Manila mayor Isko Moreno, Leody de Guzman, and Jose Montemayor collectively spent P1.5 billion for their presidential campaign which is slightly lower than the 2016 presidential candidates who spent P1.8 billion in total.

This was based on the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) submitted by candidates to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"Presidential bets, except Marcos, in the May 2022 elections were more frugal or just had difficulty raising more funds than their 2016 counterparts. [Rodrigo] Duterte, [Grace] Poe, [Mar] Roxas, [Jojo] Binay, and [Miriam] Santiago collectively received and spent about P1.8 billion then. Marcos, Robredo, Moreno, Lacson, Pacquiao, De Guzman, and Montemayor received and spent P1.4 billion for the May 2022 elections," PCIJ editorial content head Karol Ilagan said during Pera at Pulitika Forum.

Marcos, who won the race with 31 million votes, also recorded the highest campaign expenditure for a presidential candidate with P623 million, the entirety of which was funded by contributions.

"The total donation received by Bongbong Marcos appears to be the largest in electoral history. This is due in part to the raised allowable limit because of the increase in the number of registered voters," Ilagan pointed out.

"Marcos received far more donations than Robredo and any of his other opponents. Who are these donors?" she added.

Marcos was followed by Robredo who posted P388 million of campaign expenses largely funded by volunteers. Moreno spent P241 million while Lacson used in P160 million.

Pacquiao, for his part, accumulated P119 million of campaign expenses.

De Guzman spent P1 million while Montemayor coughed out P100,000.

Moreno spent the highest amount of campaign expenditures sourced from his own pocket with P1.1 million while Robredo spent P19,779 of her own money.

The Comelec is yet to release the list of donors for each candidate to this day.

Former Comelec commissioner Luie Guia, for his part, said such huge spending, especially anchored on contributions, should raise questions and spur reforms for greater transparency in disclosing campaign donors.

"This is a wake up call for us to push for an administrative reform. We do not want money to be dictating electoral choices," he said.

"This [SOCE] is just self declaration. This is not the actual [figure]. When you have the Nielsen report [on ad spending in addition]...yes it is based on a rate card, but I am thinking...that [Nielsen] itself is a red flag as much as a zero donation [out of pocket]. I am not saying they did something wrong, but it is a red flag in a sense that it might need an explanation or clarification why it was reported in such a manner," Guia added.

Legal Network for Truth Elections executive director Rona Ann Carlos agreed.

"When we talk about campaign finance, one good principle to have in mind is a level playing field. Dapat pantay pantay ang mga kandidato sa elections. Right now, it is not a level playing field," Carlos said.

"If you are a rich candidate, you have the advantage," Carlos added.—AOL, GMA News