More to come?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

After the Supreme Court upheld the Commission on Election’s decision to disqualify Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito as Laguna governor for overspending in the May 2013 elections, the Comelec is saying more than a hundred more politicians from across the political spectrum are facing disqualification cases for violation of the campaign finance rules.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez stressed they are not singling out a particular person, family or political party and that there would be no sacred cows when it comes to holding accountable those who violated campaign finance rules. He says the Comelec’s campaign finance unit has been moving against more than a hundred candidates who overspent during the previous elections.

Ejercito was disqualified by the Comelec en banc last May after he was found to have overspent during the 2013 polls when he shelled out P23.5 million for his campaign which is way beyond the P4.5 million campaign spending limit. The high court recently voted 12-0 to uphold the Comelec resolution when it junked Ejercito’s motion for reconsideration that accused the poll body of violating his rights by haphazardly issuing a decision on his case that was filed by his rival.

Candidates have been ignoring the Comelec’s campaign finance rules for decades and Ejercito’s disqualification, which the Supreme Court has upheld, comes a surprise for it was rendered swiftly and decisively. If the Comelec wants to dispel the usual protestations that it can be swift and decisive only when the opposition is involved, it has to back up those words with action and act on those other politicians that it says it has been investigating.

One high profile disqualification counts as the exception rather than the rule but if the Comelec can work double time on the other overspending cases, it should send a very strong message to the politicians who have been ignoring many election rules because nobody gets disqualified in a timely manner anyway.

Unless the investigation for those other hundred or so violators is completed as soon as possible and the appropriate penalties meted out, it will be hard to believe that the Comelec is actually serious about this particular election offense.

The Comelec has until 2016 to show politicians and the public that it is serious about controlling poll spending.*