Campaign posters for the May 9 local and national elections adorn a fenced area in Quezon City on April 4, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said they would publicize the Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of senatorial candidates and party-list groups in the midterm elections as part of their transparency measures. 

More candidates, parties beat deadline for SOCE submission

Comelec chairman George Garcia said this is to help entities and individuals to see if their donations are reflected in the SOCE. 

The poll chief said this would be the first time they would publicize the documents through a platform, with the help of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

“Ang hirap isa-isahin kaya dito papasok ang vigilance ng taumbayan natin kahit hindi kalaban, kahit yung ordinaryong constituent nila, yung mga ordinaryong kababayan natin. Makita nila kung yung mismong sinubmit ay totoo o hindi,” said Garcia. 

“Pati yung mga nag-donate, nag-contribute, tingnan niyo mismo yung submission ng inyong donasyon, baka hindi kayo naka-report. Kung hindi man either pinalaki yung donation niyo o baka naman pinaliit ang donation niyo at hindi totoo. Yan ay obligasyon nating lahat,” he added. 

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Garcia said they are just waiting for the feedback of DICT on the matter, since all of the systems they would use need the agency’s approval. 

“Yung program nasa DICT pa kasalukuyan, ine-eexpect natin na sana hanggang bukas magbigay na ng go signal upang by next week pwedeng maisa-isa namin na mailaga na, ma-download ang SOCE ng kandidato sa national,” he said. 

“May dedicated platform para dun,” he said. 

NO OBJECTIONS?

Asked if the Comelec is prepared for the possible legal setbacks should donors or candidates question the move, Garcia said no candidate or party-list so far questioned the resolution they promulgated on the matter. He emphasized that the poll body stands for transparency in anything they would do. 

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“Nung nag-file sila ng candidacy may waiver sila don na ilalantad namin yung COC. Pag nag-file ka ng candidacy, private yun mula sayo, pagdating sa Comelec public. Bakit naman makikisama pa ang Comelec sa paglilihim ng public document, e diba may issue tayo ng transparency,” he said. 

Garcia said candidates should not oppose their move if they have nothing to hide.

“If they want to question so be it. Ang sa amin, bakit mo kailangan ilihim kung sinong nagbigay? Kaya pinapa-submit yun. Dapat alam ng publiko kung sino ang nagbigay, nag-donate, eh papaano kung yung mismong nag-donate, nagbigay ay contractor pa? Mismong LGU halimbawa,” he added. 

ELECTION OFFENSE

Meanwhile, candidates who overspent for their campaign will face an election offense, said Garcia. 

He also urged electoral reforms regarding campaign spending, as the current P3 - P5 threshold for each voter was “no longer practical and realistic.”

“Ipupursige namin to the fullest yung criminal case regarding sa kanila. Perjury pa yun, hindi lang election offense sa SOCE, perjury yan kasi lahat ng SOCE ay pinapanumpaan at remember hindi namin tinatanggap kapag hindi ito under oath,” he said.

As of 9:30 p.m. on June 11, official data from the Comelec showed 61 out of 64 senatorial candidates, 25 out of 28 political parties, and 141 out of 154 party-lists were able to beat the deadline to submit their SOCE.

All of the senatorial candidates who won in this year's  midterm elections were able to submit their SOCE, based on information released by the Comelec to the media.

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