by Gerard Naval
Malaya
Former telecommunication mogul Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco was the biggest contributor to the candidacy of his nephew, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, with a donation of P100 million.
Cojuangco, a cousin of Aquino’s mother the late President Corazon Aquino, was president of Philippine Long Distance Co. before he sold the family holdings to the First Pacific Group represented by Manny Pangilinan.
He was also president and chief executive officer ABC-5/TV5 before it was recently bought also by Pangilinan.
President-elect Aquino listed 96 people who gave cash donations ranging from P50,000 to P100 million.
The donations to his campaign totaled P440.05 million, based on Aquino’s statement of contributions submitted June 9 to the Law Department of the Commission on Elections.
The statement was for donations only to Aquino. Statements of contributions to parties are filed separately.
Among other donors were businessmen Martin Ignacio Lorenzo of Del Monte Philippines (P20 million), Bu Hong Chiong from Ozamis City (P20 million), Leonardo Javier Jr. of Andoks (P14 million), David Lim and Elena Lim of the Solid Group of Companies (P10 million each), Felix Ang of Cats Motors (P10 million), Abeto Uy of Philsteel Group of Companies (P10 million), Gerardo Esquivel, a businessman-friend of Aquino (P10 million), businessman Alex Tanwangco (P10 million), and construction magnate Jose Ramon Aliling (P10 million).
Former senior government officials were also key contributors in the Aquino campaign with Fulgencio Factoran Jr., who served as environment secretary during the Cory Aquino administration, contributing P20 million, and Cesar Purisima, who was trade secretary under the Arroyo administration, P10 million.
Aquino’s sisters were also contributors, with celebrity Kris Aquino-Yap giving P15 million, Pinky Aquino-Abellardo P5 million, and Ballsy Aquino-Cruz P3 million.
Aquino’s statement said P36.93 million was unspent, with total campaign expenses at P403.119 million.
The Comelec Education and Information Department earlier said that on initial impression the statements filed by some politicians were “difficult to believe” especially with the massive airing of costly television commercials.
Early in the campaign season, Aquino and rival Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar of the Nacionalista Party were among those who reportedly exceeded the spending limit. Their TV ads dominated the airwaves in the weeks leading to the May 10 polls.
Early in the campaign season, Aquino and rival Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar of the Nacionalista Party were among those who reportedly exceeded the spending limit. Their TV ads dominated the airwaves in the weeks leading to the May 10 polls.
Have they then committed and infraction? If so, will they face legal sanctions?
Ooops…”Have they then committed an infraction?”
They have but I dont think they will face legal sanctions. That’s how it is in the Philippines.
Anna, almost all of them candidates most likely exceeded their spending limit. Imagine all of them (winners and losers) from president down to local candidates is hailed to court and jailed, baka magkaroon ng constitutional crisis. 😛
baka magkaroon ng constitutional crisis — Mike
And I thought Constitutional crisis is when the guys in the highest echelons of power violate the laws… No pala, it’s Constitutional crisis when the lil guys commit violations. 😛
Maybe there’s also a need to review our laws. Some provisions are simply unrealistic.
Our electoral system really needs overhauling. There should be institutional campaign support so that candidates who have the potential to be good leaders abut are not born rich don’t have to sell their soul to be able to run and win in an election.
There should be institutional campaign support …
Agree. Part of their campaign funds could come from taxes much like in the US and in European countries.
I Agree Anna…para pagdating ng araw walang utang na loob na babayaran…kasi iyang 100m na puhunan mo puedeng kumita yan ng 1B…
The Philippines will not have a pro-poor president in my lifetime. One has to have deep pockets to run or at least have relatives and friends with the dough. This is why the richer clan always wins. Pera perahan lang. Smells like kamag-anak inc anew…These big time donors certainly like to have favourable policies for their businessess. How will P-Noy be able to say NO to these big donors at a later date?
I am for the US and European way of putting up with the campaign funds. This levels the playing field. Right now, if one does not have the money to run, there is virtually no chance at all. The Trillanes win was just a freak victory.
Danding certainly knows how to be on the proven side.
Re 403mPesos spent for campaign expenses
Do we know many people were registered to vote and how many actually voted?
Bob,
100mPesos donated by uncle represents more or les 25% of Aquino’s total expenses. That’s huge. Can’t believe Cojuangco did it for altruistic reason… I wonder what he expects in return?
Noynoy for filing election expenses way-way down the actual amount spent has proven that he is not honest after all. Everybody has an idea how much was involved and only those dyed-in-the wool loyalists will believe his expense report.
Honesty, that’s where he anchored his campaign and maybe that’s one of the reasons why people put him there, but, wait, he has not even taken his oath of office yet and already started lying to the people. Where’s the honesty that he trumpeted during the campaign?
Maybe this doesn’t mean much to him, but if he is able and willing to lie about a thing like this, then there’s no doubt that he can do it again in some other things.
If we follow the spirit of the election law, there’s a clear violation and the culprits should bear the brunt of it, but as we know it’s always the case in the Philippines where the law has never been strictly and seriously implemented. They may craft and enact even a thousand and good laws but if in applying the force of it remains as it is, then that will be useless. We have enough laws, the problem is not only there’s no one who obeys it, but no one enforces it.
So under a new dispensation, are we to witness a changed Philippines, or same as usual?
I witnessed the vote buying activities days before the election. It was true in ALL camps (LP, NP, Independent etc). I saw bills being given out with the sample ballots. The money ranged from 300 to even 1500 and there was a bidding war even! I witnessed 3 inch thick 500 peso bills being given to a barangay captain by a mayor and as I looked into the passenger seat of the Mayor’s car, I saw a box full of 500 peso bills. In another camp, I saw a huge crowd and at the table where there was a list of names, with some names checked, I saw a gun. Yes, a gun! I was so dismayed. I thought that these just happened during the Arroyo’s regime. That these were just tell tales. But I saw these for real! A close friend who knew a lot about how the politicians do their business took time to bring me around the different camps. VOTE BUYING was all over! In one of the headquarters in another province, around 300 people were lined up waiting for the money supposedly to be given by one of the governatorial candidates and he was to give 500 pesos more that the other candidate.
Unless a national candidate have deep pockets or are supported by monied people, no way will one ever win!
In reality, not even a billion peso cuts it for a presidential candidate. Imagine how many senators, congressmen, governors and mayors a presidential candidate will help financially! Unless these candidates are deep pocketed themselves because they own their own businessess or are incumbent, as they are expected to also help with the campaign funds of the local candidates, these presidential candidates will never win. This is why in the last days of the campaign, there were a lot of “buying out”. The presidential candidates who did not dole out money to the local candidates did not get the support. Gets ninyo? Pera perahan lang talaga.
I often wondered why a lot of the local candidates do not make an early decision as to which party they wished to affiliate. Yun pala, there are last minute arrangements, either for money, projects or other positions.
When I saw what I saw, I told myself, the Philippines is so screwed up! In my lifetime, I do not expect any CHANGE!
Wasn’t Danding Cojuangco one of the benificiaries of Cory’s presidency? He is BACK! How the wheels turned so quickly.
May solution na dyan si Sen. Angara when he proposed that there should be a budget for those running the presidency. Pero dapat at least, bumalik tayo sa two-party system para di lahat mabigyan ng campaign funds. By this, any ptresidentiable should not be receiving ny donation from nobody because my funds na to roll his campaign.
Another solution which I don’t think anybody will agree is the parliamentary system. I think it will surely do away with the high cost of rolling a campaign to be elected as a prime minister (president).
Don’t be surprised if in the coming days or years, these very same contibutors will be rewarded one way or another.
Yan ang sinasabi ni Gloria peking pangulo na may peking suso… lumago raw ang ekonomiya,,, ang mga perang yan umikot sa buong Pilipinas… then here comes Gloria umaangkin na lumago na raw ang economiya. Disgusting!
Isa lang naman ang GOAL ng mga Pulitiko…. ang maangkin ang Malacanang to grab POWER!
Wala silang pinag-iba kaya dapat ngayon magserbisyo sila para sa bayan…. set aside muna Politics…. bayan muna.
Tonyboy gives 100M, so what? Whether or not the coming administration owes him a favor (and pays up) we won’t know for sure, we can only guess, and accuse…which we like doing a lot…
…but I guess for Florry thats the worst thing anyone can do, accept money from Tonyboy? its better to raise money from jueting… 🙂 talaga naman…
What we saw was how Filipinos really value, one man one vote, that inspite of the long hours of waiting in the heat, enduring the smell of armpits, rubbing elbows with fish vendors, getting irritated with people inserting up ahead, etc…it was a great equalizer, as everybody had to wait in line…
The people have spoken, there are winners and losers, its up to us to face life from this day forward as winners or whimper and whine and hope that the new administration fails miserably (this is a loser mentality by the way).
Whether we move on with optimism as winners normally do, or drag our feet as born losers do, its up to us really.
The failure of this nation is in our hands, not just in our leaders…
Kahit sino ang nagbigay ng campaign donation na malaki ay pagdududahan kahit binigay kay Aquino, Villar, Erap o Teodoro. Realidad at kasama yan sa labanan. Kung walang malaking donation o limitadong pondo, kahit anong galing at bait ng kandidato, maglalaban laban sila nina Delos Reyes at Perlas sa ilalim.
Nataon na si Noynoy ang nanalo at nagsubmit ng totoong pangalan ng donors kaya pupunahin. Yung mga malalaking nagbigay kina Erap at Teodoro, syempre walang papansin. Saan pa ba manggaling ang donation? syempre sa mga mayayaman, mga negosyante at sa illegal operations.
Given na rin may hihinging pabor ang mga donors at it is up to Noynoy kung pagbibigyan.
Napa naive naman at magtataka na sa mga mayayaman at negosyante pala galing ang campaign donation kay Noynoy. Saan ba akala natin, sa piso piso para kay Noynoy o sa simbahan.
Ang Comelec ang dapat nagpapatupad ng mga batas tungkol sa election kasama ang election donation at spending. SA tagal tagal, wala namang ginawa ang Comelec tungkol dito. May lapses pa nga sila ng hindi nila niresolve na premature campaigning ang mga infomercials ng kandidato bago ang election period.
Ang mga Pinoy walang pakialam kung saan galing ang pondo ng kandidato. Ang mas importante sa kanila ay kung ano ang magagawa at maibibigay ng mga nanalo sa kanila pagkapos ng election.
Actually, don’t blame anybody na nanalo as president if ever pagdudahan kung paano nya mai-ple-please yung mga campiagn contributors nya. That’s the reality. Whoever wants to be president needs huge sums of money to roll a campaign. Basta, let’s just hope na di ma-compromise ang leadership ng bagong pangulo when these same contributors start requesting for government contracts. Sabi ko nga, to do away with the hassle of overspending for becoming a leader, we should start contemplating on shifting to a parliamentary form of government where an elected member of the parliament can become a prime minister (PM). Take a look at Japan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Ngayon dahil marami ang ayaw kay gloria becoming a PM, dapat bawal maging PM ang dating naging presidente na ng bansa since that’s everbody wants.
We can complain all day about the danger to leadership of campaign contributions but unless we do something about it, hanggang complain na lang tayo.
Remember ng manalo si gloria nung 2004, binigay nya sa mga lopez ang franchise to operate the NLEX because of Noli de Castro being GLoria’s VP. We don’t know yet kung ano naman ang hihingin ng mga nagcontribute kay Noynoy ngayon. From what I read before, even Lucio Tan nagcontribute din sa campaign ni Noynoy at Mar Roxas, pero mukhang di na naisama ito and I believe there are other contributors na di pa sinasabi ngayon. But in due time, malalaman din yan pag nag-ingay na o may pabor ng hinihingi kay Noynoy.
So sa mga ayaw ng parliamentary form of government, maybe its time to reconsider this proposal since we are concerned about the huge sume to bankroll a presidential campaign. Under the parliamentary system, a vote of no confidence is enough to remove the sitting PM so he has to have a sense of interity and honesty at all times.
Any other idea kung paano tayo makakaelect ng leader while we do away with campaign contributions na baka macompromise ang leadership ng isang elected leader?
There is nothing illegal in Tony Boy’s contribution to his cousin, Noynoy’s campaign.
The fact that he allowed himself to be identified as donor is unusual. The big donors (P100 million is big) usually are not reported.
There is more politics in what is not reported.
Tama si Ellen.
Ano’ng malay natin, baka ‘yung legacy ni Tita Cory ang gusto nilang buhayin. At upang mabago na din ang usapin sa Hacienda Luisita.
Siguro naman ang pagiging transparent ni Tony Boy ay hindi na dapat pang bigyan ng masamang kahulugan.
Agree with Ellen, Jug and Magno. Pangkin e, so…? I’m waiting for others to name their contributors/donors also.
100 Million? Ang laking tax deduction niyan.
FVR to Noynoy: Don’t over-celebrate, start working -gmanews
Bakit ba ang daming pakialamero at papansin?! Hayyy, tapos na ka na FVR, shut your mouth na lang. Hayaan na lang ninyo si P’NOY at si Pinoy na mag-usap ngayon.
P.Noy was practicing transparency by publishing his campaign contributors, he should be commended. What about other candidates? who were their contributors?
Good leadership begins with the leader.
Let’s cross our eyes, no fingers pala that Noynoy will always lead by example. Time to join hands para naman sumulong na ang Motherland of our birth.
We are not getting any younger. While still sharp, let us use our wisdom emulating others help the new government in bringing the country to its feet.
Stop the batikos muna habang medyo mainit pa ang tenga ni Noynoy galing sa panalo. Mahirap na baka kapag nalingat tayo ay umariba ang Bubuyog Brigade. Dapat boses natin ang mangibabaw hindi sa mga negative na paramdam kundi sa positibong pananaw at pakikipagtulungan.
Huwag tayong magparang makakaliwa o ‘yung mga alagad ng babaeng bangaw na walang preno ang mga bungangang umaalingasaw. Tapos na ang maliligayang araw nila. Toka ng bagong pamunuan pagpapakita ng tamang hakbang ng pagpapatakbo ng pamahalaang nakikinig sa ng boses tao, kumikilos para sa tao at gumaganap ng mga tungkuling para sa kagalingan ng mga tao.
Si FVR, napaka killjoy!!!
May malaking dahilan para mag celebrate, nanalo ang bagong presidente.
Ang buong bayan naman may napakalaking dahilan para mag over celebrate dahil sa wala na sa Malacanang si Arroyo!!!
Jug,
Maybe you should re-read and understand my post. I believed you did not get the meat of my message. You bark so loud, unfortunately, there’s no bite in it because you barked at the wrong tree.
I am not talking about people who contributed to Noynoy’s campaign kitty. I don’t care who they are, even if the gave billions to Noynoy. What I am questioning is his honesty in his reporting of his election expenses which clearly under- stated. Over-spending in election is a violation of the election law and the law should be applied equally to anyone without exceptions and violators should be punished, but that’s not going to happen.
Unless you come from another planet (your favorite)and did not observed how the campaign went on, how he “bombarded” radio, TV, etc. for his infomercials, then you are one of those dyed-in-wool loyalist and believer of the infallibility of your idol.
The funny thing is, even if it’s clear that there is a violation, supporters are still willing to ignore and forget about it. That’s seems to be an immature attitude. That’s not helping in making a change.
If we want a change, be alert and always on guard even on the smallest things that affect the lives of the people. Not because you vote for a candidate, you also vote for every misdeeds he commit.
That’s having an eye but can not see, and having a head but empty.
That said I can’t do anything about it.
Ms. Florry, I think we have to distinguish between the amount of campaign donation in cash (emphasis on cash) received by a candidate and the amount of all expenses spent for the campaign of a particular candidate.
Only Villar admitted that he was the one who financed his campaign. Indirectly, he never received campaign donation.
The other candidates received donation but it does not necessarily follow that all the expenses in the campaign came from the cash donation received. Although personally, I doubt the veracity of the notice after an ad that “This was paid by friends, relatives or any group” this does not fall under cash donation. T Shirt, band and other campaign paraphernalia may be bought out of the cash donation received or may be given in kind. Again if given in kind, it is not a cash donation.
There is also a distinct possibility that a person will give 50M cash donation and spent another 50M to buy airtime for the campaign ads or infomercial.
That is why if someone can come up with the actual/real amount of cash received by Aquino as campaign donation and it does not tally with the cash donation he submitted before the COMELEC, then I will agree with you that Aquino was being dishonest.
Madam Chi, sinagot na pala ni Noynoy si FVR. Thank you daw for the unsolicited advice. he is not part of the team who worked in the campaign and he would rather listen to the latter kaysa kay FVR.
Si FVR naman kasi, naunahan na sya ni Mike Arroyo na mag advice kay Noynoy that he should stop being the President of the opposition and should unify the people.
Oblak,
There’s no “someone” who can come up with the actual amount of contributions to the Noynoy campaign EXCEPT Noynoy himself, that’s why we have to rely on his honesty to report the actual amount. But that’s not my point.
My point is the violation of the law about over-spending. Did he report the actual amount of his election campaign expense?
No, because reporting an amount even less than half a billion in a very expensive election campaign is pure baloney.
Kuya Oblak, korek lang na sagutin ni Noynoy ang mga papansin na yan at nang magsitigil, nakakaasar. Si ordinaryong Juan naman ay pasingitin nila sa bagong presidente, lagi na lang gusto nilang ma-dyaryo.
wala bang limit ang “amount” allowed by the law to a candidate’s campaign fund…kung walang nag contribute for Villar’s campaign fund..it was his own personal funds?..WOW!
ang yaman yaman niyang talaga!..pero si Velarde ba ay hindi nagcontribute?…put together via his members malaki din seguro ang na contribute ni MV..and I mean Mike Velarde not Manny Villar…
Florry, just go over the laws kung may naviolate si Noynoy.
Kung wala, huwag si Noynoy ang sisihin at ang batas. The way I see it, since you never believed in him from the very start, kahit anong gawin ni Noynoy may masisilip palagi.
SAbi nga ni MPR, give Noynoy the benefit of the doubt at hindi pa nag uumpisa. Let him prove himself muna.
oblak: amen! let him prove himself muna…huwag natin siyang unahan sisihin sa mga hindi pa niya nagawa o nasa isip..unless may evidencia ka Florry na listahan ng mga ginastos niya..puede bang maghantay muna? kung hindi ka contento have an accountant audit his expenses…kung gusto mo bakit hindi ikaw ang mag audit…let us take one thing at a time hinay hinay lang anay..isa isang patayin ang anay…ang sabi nga “fools rush in..where angels fear to tread”… Si Villar ay dapat mag ac count din…hindi como sarili niyang pera ang ginastos..ay wala siyang accountability..sa tingin mo Florry of the candidates who was the less evil? si putot? tapos na ang laban let us just help and be a good if not a better Filipino citizen…it is time for us to move on…dahil sa ako ay uuwi na sa ating bayan..handa ako magsilbi sa amin sa Antique…in whatever way I can…
Oblak, rose,
A quote from the article:
“Early in the campaign season, Aquino and rival Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar of the Nacionalista Party were among those who reportedly EXCEEDED THE SPENDING LIMIT. Their TV ads dominated the airwaves in the weeks leading to the May 10 polls”.
What proof and audit do you want?
Hey guys, if Noynoy is your president, he is also my president. The past election is already a history. We are not politicians so we don’t have to engage in partisanship. If you want a good government and a good life, so am I. I just don’t want to be a member of the “yes men”, so whoever sits there, I will do my duty as a Filipino, to criticize if I feel there’s something wrong.
What I am expecting was his self-proclaimed honesty to translate it into a transparent act for everybody to feel and see. Where is honesty in under-declaring a report?
As to Villar, in the first place he never claimed or declared himself to be honest; in fact everybody including himself knows that he is a crook. The Comelec also can run after him if they are serious in implementing the rules of the game.
That’s where the difference lies: Villar is dishonest, but he never claimed to be otherwise; Noynoy claimed he is honest, but he acted not to be what he claimed.
In reality, NO presidential candidate CAN be 100% transparent with their donors’ list.
I know many businessmen who will donate to ALL candidates even with just a slim chance of winning. The amount is proportional of course to the odds of winning. You probably won’t see the names of any of the taipans in any candidate’s list because they are betting on more than one candidate. It would be stupid to include his name in any and all of those he donated to, for obvious reasons.
Not enough reason to say one candidate is dishonest. I challenge anyone to come up with a list of all MBC businessmen who donated to anyone’s campaign. I doubt you can find more than 10 who are officially listed.
Another scheme is to pool their donations an have it credited to a single “no-interest” donor. The candidate is notified of course of the real donors.
While I do not discount the capability and intention of Tonyboy to donate P100M, some associates may “piggyback” on his seemingly transparent donation to hide under their cloak of anonymity.
It’s about HONESTY in reporting the ACTUAL AND TRUE election expenses. NEVER mind the list of contributors, whoever they are even if in millions or in billions. There’s no law that makes it illegal; what is not right is daclaring a false expense report. That makes the filer dishonest.
I’m sure Aquino’s foes are as eager as you are, florry, to file a disqualification based on misreporting. And if you have some evidence, why don’t you share it with them?
How can you come up with an ACTUAL and TRUE expense report when your donors don’t want to be listed? It’s not just Aquino, for all I care, the same experience I’m sure even with JC Delos Reyes and Nick Perlas.
Get real, honesty in politics?
Before making an HONEST expense report, you must first have an HONEST Donors’ Report. Unless you are Manny Villar who claims to spend only his own money, all the candidates get rolling with funds from supporters. (Although I wouldn’t even consider Villar’s “own” money as HONEST).
Look at Ellen’s list, the only “contractor” listed as Ninoy’s donor is Jose Aliling. He’s not even a contractor but a construction management specialist. How about the big guys DMCI, MDC, AG&P, EEI, Monolith, etc everyone of them are itching for even just a small slice of the construction budget worth trillions, what’s a few millions? Can’t believe these people did not donate to the survey frontrunner/s.
CEOs who are fraternity brods of some candidates can easily throw a few millions into the contender’s kitty. That’s how influential frats are. But do you see the APO brods in Binay’s list? How about the millionaires of Upsilon, they never donated to Gordon?
Tongue,
Are you kidding?
Just like Rose, you are asking my evidence. That’s the job of the Comelec to look for evidence. I am just saying my piece based on what I read, like the exchange that follows:
#1 – Anna- “Have they then committed and infraction? If so, will they face legal sanctions?”
#3 – Ellen- “THEY HAVE but I dont think they will face legal sanctions. That’s how it is in the Philippines.”
As you say, “Get real, honesty in politics?”
Then, was that an admission that Noynoy is not honest?
many were barking on the wrong tree again, maybe what should be asked now is : who were the campaign contributors of other candidates? why not publish campaign funds and expenses also of other candidates?
SAL of villar showed about 1 billion net worth, how come villar could spent several billions when he has just 1 billion networth, and where was his 6 billions earning in C5 scam?, etc… etc….