MANILA, (PNA) –A lawmaker has filed a bill increasing the ceiling of expenses of candidates and political parties per voter during electoral exercises.
Baguio City Rep. Nicasio Aliping, Jr., author of House Bill 2362, said there is a possibility that candidates might have resorted to understatement of expenses in their statements of election contributions and expenditures to comply with the reportorial requirements (SECEs).
“The ceiling pegged under present laws on authorized expenses of candidates and political parties for campaign purposes are unrealistic and should be increased,” Aliping said.
The bill seeks to amend Section 13 of Republic Act 7166 otherwise known as the synchronized national and local elections and for electoral reforms.
Under the bill, candidates running for President, Vice President, and Senators are allowed to spend P30 per voter while those running for the House of Representatives, Regional and Provincial Governor and Vice Governor, and City and Municipal Mayor and Vice-Mayor can only spend P20.
Candidates without any political party and without support from any political party may be allowed to spend P20 for every such voter.
Likewise, political parties and party-list groups can only spend P20 for every voter currently registered in the constituency or constituencies where they have official candidates.
Aliping said under Section 100 and 101 of the Omnibus Election Code or the Batasang Pambansa Blg. 881 in 1985, the limit on expenses of candidates and political parties was pegged at P1.50 for every registered voter.
The limit was raised in 1991 under R.A. 7166 to P10.00 for President and Vice-President, P5.00 for political parties and independent candidates, and P3.00 for other candidates. “It remained unchanged until the recent 2013 elections,” Aliping said.
Aliping said the understatement by candidates of their campaign expenses affects revenues, “and the effect is apparent once the sworn SECEs submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are furnished to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).”
Aliping said the excess campaign contributions, if any, may be treated as taxable income of the candidate under Revenue Regulations No. 7-2011.
“But the income taxes that might be collected from unutilized contributions are much less compared to what could be realized if actual expenses at prevailing prices are reported and taxes therefrom are withheld and remitted under the Expanded Withholding Tax Law,” Aliping said.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chaired by Rep. Fredenil Castro (2nd District, Capiz) for appropriate consideration and action.