Posing a red flag for corruption

Why politicians spend big in election campaigns

Politicians’ campaign spending more than a year before the May 2022 elections and during the pandemic no less is not just a sign of unending “trapo” culture, but is indeed a crime against the Filipino people.

Photo from Raffy Lerma, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Over the years, candidates have been overspending on political campaigns during election season, raising quite a red flag for corruption as it's been consistently reoccurring.

In 2013, the Commission of Elections (Comelec) disqualified Laguna Governor, ER Ejercito, for alleged campaign overspending. He spent over P6 million for his television advertisement alone, exceeding his spending limit of only P4.5 million. But it was only in 2015 when the Supreme Court upheld the decision with finality.

This brings into question why politicians spend a huge, scandalous amount of money for their political campaign.

In the upcoming 2022 polls, the campaign strategies might appear differently. As the biggest broadcast network in the country remains in dire straits after being forced to go off the air last year, the traditional means of media campaigning poses a great challenge for political aspirants.

Although in-person efforts remain a staple for political campaigns, potential candidates have begun to invest in online and social media campaigning as mobility restrictions were still imposed more than a year into the pandemic.

According to gathered Facebook data by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, filipino politicians have spent several thousands to a few million pesos for social media advertising alone since August 2020. Their recent report further revealed that the two biggest ad spenders so far are among potential national candidates; Incumbent Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has already shelled out P4.5 million over the past eight months to promote more than 600 Facebook posts. Meanwhile, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and his supporters spent more than P1 million to boost a total of 45 posts.

Different early campaign tactics, often infuriating, have also emerged during the most distressing time of the country —in the midst of a pandemic when many Filipinos succumb to COVID-19 each day.

Politicians might be seeing the pandemic response as an opportunity for them to advance their agenda of securing more years in public office. This ‘epal’ culture among politicians during relief distributions is not only exasperating but also insensitive to the very situation of the Filipinos who barely gasp for air to survive.

Instead of spending the funds in producing non-essential pre-campaign materials, they could have allotted more funds to food, financial assistance and other necessities of the Filipinos. Attending to the very needs of their constituents while setting aside their own political aspirations is the most basic duty of any local and national leader; yet, it is often forgotten or worse, neglected.

This only affirms what the voting public has always known, that most politicians only put their best foot forward during election campaigns. True enough as politicians remain overspending every election just to reach a wider populace.

However, the Comelec seems to turn a blind eye most of the time over the issue of overspending among candidates in the past election years.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, campaign overspending is prohibited. Candidates, both local and national, are only allowed to spend P10 per voter. Such an offense merits one to six years of imprisonment, as well as removal of one’s right to vote and disqualification from holding public office.

Even with laws being in place, 1,629 cases of overspending were recorded among local and national candidates in 2016. As cases of election offenses move at a glacial pace, many violators remain unpunished; hence, politicians often disdain such guidelines.

If aspiring politicians can bypass such rules on spending limits, what more can they do when they assume the office they are vying for. It is important to interrogate how politicians can willingly give up millions of pesos for a public seat without getting something, often a much higher amount, in return.

Currently, both the House and the Senate are legislating bills that propose to increase the allowable campaign spending of election candidates and political parties through the House Bill No. 6095 and Senate Bill No. 810.

This is clearly yet another advantage to favor the candidates who have a lot of resources to spend big in election campaigns. These bills set a dangerous precedent for poor and under-resourced candidates who are practically disqualified by such election legislations. Moreover, it will only cast more doubts among the voting public whether the campaign money comes from the candidates’ own pockets or from underhanded state funds.

With this, the voting public should remain critical against the aspiring leaders of the country. We should condemn and probe any forms of corruption and misspendings as many Filipinos grapple with the adverse impacts of the current health and economic crises, needing much government assistance now more than ever.

As the May 2022 election comes near, an informed and intelligent vote is needed. But being vigilant against the anomalous activities of the government and the urge to hold those in power to account should remain and stay beyond the election period.

We should not let another crime against the Filipino people be committed with impunity and state neglect.