The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will look into the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of Senator Rodante Marcoleta following concerns raised by an election watchdog group.
“Everything must be declared,” Comelec chairperson George Garcia said in a message to the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday when asked whether an anonymous donor should have been disclosed.
Danilo Arao, convenor of the watchdog group Kontra Daya, said Marcoleta’s explanation for not declaring campaign donors “raises more questions than answers.”
Marcoleta reportedly refused to name donors, identifying them only as “anonymous.”
“He claims not to violate any laws, but he should remember that filling out official documents should be truthful. Part V (Certification and Consent), where candidates sign the SOCE form, contains these words: ‘I hereby certify that I personally prepared this document and know the full contents; and that all information contained herein are true and correct.’ Declaring zero contributions is neither true nor correct,” Arao said in a statement.
“To say that his ‘friends’ prefer to remain anonymous is just a convenient excuse not to be transparent. As a lawyer, he should know better. As an elected senator, he should know what accountability means. Right now, it is proper for the likes of him to be investigated and penalized for what he has done,” he added.
Arao said both the Comelec and the Senate should look into the matter.
“The poll body should take this seriously as the SOCE form appears to have not been truthfully filled out, based on Marcoleta’s own statement,” he said.
Asked if Kontra Daya would file a case, Arao said, “Kontra Daya will consider all options.”
Marcoleta, for his part, explained that his campaign contributors requested to remain anonymous. He also challenged his critics to identify what law he supposedly violated.
