Campaign finance refers to all funds
raised in order to promote candidates, political parties, or policies in
elections, referendums, initiatives, party activities, and party organizations.
In the Philippines, the main objective for regulating campaign finance can be
found in the 1987 Constitution, specifically Article II, Section 26, which
reads:
“SECTION 26. The State shall guarantee
equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political
dynasties as may be defined by law.”
Equal access to opportunities means a
level playing field for all candidates, regardless of their financial capacity.
The significance of this policy was recognized by the Supreme Court in the case
of Chavez v. Comelec, when it stated that “[e]qual opportunity to proffer
oneself for public office, without regard to the level of financial resources
one may have at his disposal, is indeed of vital interest to the public. The
State has the duty to enact and implement rules to safeguard this interest.”
1
Governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito,
the incumbent Laguna Governor, was disqualified by the COMELEC for overspending
during the May 2013 elections. His campaign expense was audited and found out that
he spent around P23.5 million in which he was only allowed P4.5 million for his
entire campaign. According to the COMELEC Chief, it was a direct violation of
the campaign finance rule on overspending and it involved a very high position
of governor of a province.
Our Constitution and the constituted
authorities like the COMELEC implemented rules on election that candidates should
adhere to. Election is a great deal to our nation and involves public interest,
in order to be fair, candidates must follow the same set of rules that are set
in. In the case of Governor ER Ejercito, there is a big difference between what
he actually spent and what was only allowed to him. Even if he had the capacity
to finance that extravagant campaign of his, maybe his adversary had not. The
COMELEC was right in disqualifying him because he did not respect and violated the
imposed rule on the limitations in campaign finance. He, as an aspiring leader,
should first know how to follow and if he had confidence in himself, he should
not have overspent just to win the votes of the people. Instead, he should have
strategized how he could allocate the P4.5 million wisely that he could cover
all his campaign needs.
Politicians always have their budget
for campaign but once they are proclaimed winners and sit in their office,
money is nowhere to be found. This is the time when Filipinos need the most
what is due to them and not just during elections and campaign period.
Actually, what were given during campaigns were just petty and candidates
should not spend a lot on these because their goal is to serve the people not
to buy the people. And knowing politicians, maybe what they spend was actually
from the people. From the money that is supposed to be for us but they put in
their own accounts. It is disappointing that what actually drives politician
are money and power. When we speak of election, it is the politics. And when we
speak of politics, it always boil down to corruption. Throughout the years,
many had come but nothing had changed. Corruption is still living in our
country and seems like it will never end.
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