Let Donors Decide
Caritos also maintained that donors should be told about any excess funds derived from their donations and be given the privilege to decide what to do about them—although this option is not really that simple, she added. Filipino culture sometimes see this as somewhat unethical, giving back what people have already given you with their whole hearts. Caritos saw this possibility occurring.
NAMFREL Secretary General Eric Jude O. Alvia, on the other hand, said candidates should not abuse excess campaign funds just because the law says nothing about them. Instead, candidates should inform their donors and ask their decision about the funds—something Caritos also thought of.
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Caritos sees another problem—when candidates have finished combining all extra contributions as one fund, and therefore not knowing how much exactly belongs to whom. Alvia added that this is further complicated when candidates fail to report periodically, submitting their reports only 30 days after elections.
“If you report periodically, you have your cash flow – in and out – you know (whose money has not been used),” he says. In this case, refunding donors should be pro-rated, said Alvia, or distributing the excess fund to them proportionately.
Like Isko Moreno, for instance. He raised P171 million in donations from nine individuals. The biggest donors were Enrique K. Razon, Jr., a businessman who donated P65 million to him, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada who gave P48 million, business tycoon Ramon Ang who gave P12 million, and a certain Nel Velasco from Quezon City who gave him P20 million. Aileen Uygongco from Iloilo also donated P10 million.
PCIJ tried to get in touch with candidates and parties who had submitted reports on their unspent funds to see what they did with their money. Only Isko Moreno, VP Robredo and Senators Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson, Grace Poe-Llamanzares and Sherwin T. Gatchalian answered queries as of press time.
President Duterte has yet to reply to PCIJ, having a big amount of excess campaign money left to him.
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