ILOILO City – Both reelected Mayor Jerry Treñas and Cong. Julienne Baronda were the biggest campaign spenders in the recent elections here, their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed.
Yesterday was the last day of filing of the SOCE. There won’t be an extension, stressed City Assistant Election Officer Jonathan Sayno.
Under election rules, a candidate who fails to file a SOCE thrice would be perpetually disqualified from running in elections.
Treñas, who secured his second consecutive term on May 9, spent P325, 999 for his campaign, his SOCE indicated.
Treñas garnered 187,691 votes – thrice as many as the 54,552 votes of far second placer, radio blocktimer Jun Capulot who stated in his SOCE that he spent P65,564 for his campaign.
Baronda’s SOCE, on the other hand, stated she spent P318, 525.17 to secure her second consecutive term.
She got 147,834 votes – nearly double the 84,168 votes that second placer, former mayor Jose Espinosa III got.
Espinosa stated in his SOCE that he spent P272,970 for his campaign.
Based on the SOCEs filed, none of the other candidates in this city spent more than what the mayor and congresswoman spent for their respective campaign.
A total of 37 candidates ran for various elective posts in Iloilo City on May 9. Thirty-two were able to submit their SOCEs, according to Sayno.
The eight other candidates deemed as top spenders were the following:
* Jose Espinosa III (defeated candidate for congressman) – P272,970
* Candice Magdalane Tupas (reelected city councilor) – P256,870
* Johnny Young (neophyte elected city councilor) – P242,000
* Plaridel Nava (come-backing city councilor) – P225,315.58
* Jose Maria Miguel Treñas (neophyte elected city councilor) – P184,152
* Urminico Baronda (neophyte elected city councilor) – P148,076.76
* Jeffrey Ganzon (reelected vice mayor) – P144,253.40
* Romel Duron (reelected city councilor) – P132,823
Tupas ranked eighth in the race for councilor; Young placed ninth; Nava was No. 12; Miguel Treñas was No. 2; Urminico Baronda was No. 5; and Duron was No. 10.
The No. 1 elected councilor, neophyte Atty. Sedfrey Cabaluna, stated in his SOCE that he spent P92,500. He got 144,328 votes.
Among the 10 top campaign spenders, only Espinosa lost.
On the other hand, the lowest campaign spenders, based on their SOCEs, were Rudy Bantolo who for congressman but lost (P800) and Edmundo Pama and Carmelo “Mel” Carreon who both ran for councilors and got defeated too. Pama’s SOCE stated he spent P5,000 for his campaign while Carreon spent P5,459.
According to Sayno, none of the candidates overspent for their campaign.
He said the spending limit for candidates with political party was P991,410 (or P3 per voter x 330,470 total number of registered voters) and for those without political party or independent candidates, it was P1,652.350 (or P5 per voter x 330,470) .
Sayno said the five candidates here who failed to submit their SOCEs would be slapped with administrative fines, being first-time non-filers.
They were Juni Espinosa who ran for congressman, Vicente Ang who ran for city mayor and Vic Anoche, Mor Espinosa and Efren Gimeo who ran for city councilors. All lost in the polls.
The fines are P6,000 for candidates for councilor and P70,000 for candidates for mayor, vice mayor and congressman, said Sayno.
While there is no extension for SOCE filing, Sayno said Comelec gives winners six months from the date of their proclamation to file it “but without prejudice to the payment of the administrative penalty for late filing.”
Pursuant to Section 11 of the Omnibus Election Code, the office of an elected candidate who fails to file SOCE shall be considered vacant until he submits his SOCE within six months from proclamation.
After this deadline lapses and the candidate fails to assume office, a permanent vacancy shall be declared./PN