100 bets under probe for poll overspending

MANILA, Philippines - After the ouster of Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito, more than 100 other candidates in the 2013 elections are undergoing preliminary investigation for campaign overspending, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. told radio station dzRH that these candidates were found to have violated campaign spending limits, based on the statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) that they filed with the poll body.

“Over 100 (candidates) are facing preliminary investigation. We are going to pursue criminal (charges) against them,” Brillantes said.

The preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Comelec’s law department, which will eventually recommend whether or not there is probable cause to pursue charges for election offenses.

The 100 are among more than 2,000 candidates initially found by the Comelec to have exceeded limits in campaign expenditures.

Brillantes said the case of Ejercito is different from these candidates in that his case involves only the administrative aspect of campaign overspending.

“What we are investigating now are post-election, the SOCE. ER’s case is different, it was filed before the elections,” he maintained.

The Comelec had disqualified Ejercito based on the petition filed by rival candidate Edgar San Luis, who complained that he spent some P23.5 million during the 2013 campaign while his limit was only P4.5 million.

The poll body gave weight to the complaint and ordered Ejercito to vacate the post in May.

The Supreme Court (SC) recently upheld the Comelec decision and junked the motion for reconsideration filed by Ejercito.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said despite the SC ruling, Ejercito could still run in the coming 2016 elections because the case filed by San Luis against him is administrative in nature.

Aside from this, the SC decision is not yet final and executory, and therefore could still be appealed by Ejercito.

“The cases did not touch on the criminal aspect of the disqualification. (The prayer is for disqualification so) the end-result is disqualification,” Jimenez added.

In the criminal aspect of campaign overspending, Ejercito would have also been slapped with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.