President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. filed his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which showed more than P623 million worth of expenditures in the May elections campaign.
The SOCE was filed through Marcos’ legal counsel.
Lawyer George Briones, general counsel of Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), earlier said the Marcos camp spent some P272 million during the 90-day campaign period.
The Commission on Elections warned candidates who participated in the recent national and local elections to submit their respective Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) by June 8, 2022 or risk not being able to assume their posts until they have met the requirement.
Comelec Acting Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco issued the reminder after the political party of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. filed its SOCE.
He said candidates who withdrew their candidacy and political parties will still have to submit their expenses as well as the contribution they received during the campaign period.
“The SOCE of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas consists of 400 pages. The PFP spent P272 million by way of expenses in the last 2022 presidential campaign, which is well below the maximum expenditure of P337 million allowed by law for a national political party,” Briones said.
Under the law, all political parties are allowed to spend P5 for every voter currently registered in the constituency or constituencies, where it has official candidates.
Briones said the PFP’s SOCE was signed and prepared by its national treasurer, Antonio Ernesto “Anton” Lagdameo, who is nominated as Marcos’s Special Assistant to the President (SAP).
The Comelec said Marcos Jr. is still required to file a separate SOCE, as Republic Act No. 7166 states that “every candidate and treasurer of the political party shall, within 30 days after the day of the election, file in duplicate with the offices of the commission the full, true and itemized SOCE in connection with the election.”
