Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Liberal Party reported Tuesday it received over P241 million in election campaign contributions and spent every peso for the May 9 polls.
The report was contained in the Statements of Contributions and Expenses (SOCEs) the party submitted Tuesday to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The report was accompanied by five boxes of documents that included a list of contributions totaling P241.097 million, a summary report of expenditures, and the party’s unpaid obligations.
The SOCE of LP standard bearer Mar Roxas was not included.
LP and Roxas requested for a 14-day extension of the June 8 deadline for submitting the SOCEs. LP spokesperson Barry Gutierrez cited “voluminous number of receipts that have to be scanned and attached” as the primary reason for their extension request.
Comelec yet to deliberate
Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia said the commissioners have yet to discuss if they will allow an extension of the deadline for filing the SOCEs.
“We cannot not follow the law. All submissions should be filed within the deadline,” said Guia.
The Comelec commissioners are still waiting for Commissioner Christian Lim, who is on leave, before discussing the Roxas’ request.
The Fair Elections Act imposes administrative fines and penalties on candidates who fail to submit their SOCEs. National candidates who fail to report their expenses will be fined ₱30,000 for the first offense. For the second or subsequent offense, the administrative fines can reach up to ₱60,000. In addition, the candidate shall be perpetually disqualified from holding public office. Winning candidates are not allowed to take office until they file their SOCEs.
CNN Philippines’ correspondent Anna Estanislao contributed on this report.
