The cat is now out of the bag. Pinoy politicians acknowledge that politics in this country is one big cottage industry nosing out manufacturing and agriculture.

Using one senate barnacle as sponsor (who has reached the mandatory 2-term limit and therefore no longer available for re-election) these politicians want to adjust their investment before entering politics. This proposed bill makes campaigning beyond the reach of penny-pinching wannabes.

Political dynasties now have laundered monies from government projects in the form of kickbacks or SoPs. These dynasties now own the government contractors using dummies as project engineers. Local dynasties demand advances from the DPWH or government agencies sponsoring the projects in their territory.

Accomplishments are bloated by as much as 50-100% more to justify progress billings. After being paid, the project is left to the elements to be taken care of the scion of the elected official (soon to be anointed as successor) and so on ad infinitum.

CoA or the AMLAC looks the other way invoking an exception in the Anti-Money Laundering Law that “Lawyers and accountants acting as independent legal professionals are not required to report covered and suspicious transactions if the relevant information was obtained in circumstances where they are subject to professional secrecy or legal professional privilege.” Asked whether the favorite contractor pays taxes, replies, “Lugi kami!” Investment in politics is frighteningly gigantic where investors look at the return on investment (RoI) from the GAA or national budget. Because of financial independence bolstered by the Madanas-Garcia doctrine, local dynasties treat their internal revenue allotments (IRAs) as private savings that come handy year in and year out.

Anecdotal evidence point out of a behemoth vault of the Ampatuans where billions in cash are stashed. Fearing the loss of these freebies, the Ampatuans, acting singly, massacred 58 people including a popular contender out to dethrone them. (After the massacre, the Mangundadato dynasty built their own much bigger vault).

One Bicolano congressman, failing twice in his attempt to dislodge a sitting political family shot himself in the mouth. He squandered the recuerdos from his late father who headed the House Appropriations Committee for years.

For the first time in 12 years, Lito Lapid approached ditheringly the senate rostrum to sponsor Senate Bill No. 2460 seeking to increase the authorized campaign expenditures of candidates in national and local elections. The Lapid bill

“asserted that “changing economic conditions” present the need to raise the limit on campaign expenses of candidates.”xxx

“It likewise permits the Commission on Elections, in coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, National Economic and Development Authority, and Philippine Statistics Authority to adjust the campaign expense cap per registered voter based on the inflation rate and consumer price index.xxx Lapid said the outdated allowable spending may even force candidates to underreport their actual poll campaign expenses. He stressed that adjusting the expenditure cap to realistic rates may help eliminate motivations to falsify such report called statement of contributions and expenses or SOCE.

“Candidates file their SOCE within 30 days from Election Day.”

Under Senate Bill No. 2460, Lapid proposed the following increases in campaign expenditure:

• P50 for president
• P40 for vice president
• P30 for senator, district representative, governor, vice governor, board member, mayor, vice mayor, councilor, and party-list representative for every voter registered in the constituency where the candidate filed his certificate of candidacy

“The suggested measure, however, retained the campaign spending limit for independent candidates at P5 for every voter.

“For political parties, Lapid’s bill introduces an increase from P5 to P30 “for every voter in the constituency where they have official candidates.”

In short, running for public office becomes the exclusive enclave of the likes of the Marcoses, Dutertes, Macapagal-Arroyos, ad infinitum.

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1846366/senator-lito-lapid-proposes-raising-poll-campaign-spending-cap#ixzz8GGHmDaRE