Osmeña vows to submit poll expense report, ready to pay fine

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Sergio Osmeña III vowed yesterday to submit his statement of contributions and expenditures for the May 10 elections before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Osmeña said he is ready to pay the fine for his failure to meet the deadline for submission last June 24.

He explained that he has yet to arrange his files which were “messed up” during the three-month long campaign.

Osmeña ran his own campaign and also helped in President Aquino’s campaign.

The senator said in the last four elections, he always filed his statements of contributions and expenditures on time – in 1992 when he ran for senator but lost; in 1995 when he won as senator; in 1998 when he ran for vice president but lost; and in 2001 when he again won as senator.

“I always filed on time. This time, my files were really messed up. You know why? Because I was also handling Noynoy’s campaign and it was in the same room, the same office. I thought it would be easy. Before I had a full-time CPA (certified public accountant), this time I don’t have a full-time bookkeeper,” Osmeña said.

“I apologize to the Comelec for the delay. My lawyers will get in touch with them,” he said, adding that he is optimistic he would be able to comply with the requirement by the end of the month.

“It hurts because I have to pay the fine but that’s the law. But it’s not a violation of the law technically because the law does not give a time frame,” Osmeña said.

Based on the records of the Comelec’s law department, Osmeña and presidential aspirants John Carlos de los Reyes of the Ang Kapatiran Party and Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas did not meet the June 24 deadline for the filing of statement of contributions and expenditures.

Republic Act 7166 or the Synchronized National and Local Elections Law states that “no person elected to any public office shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed the statement of contributions and expenditures required.”

Under the Fair Election Act, a candidate, whether winning or losing, faces a fine of P1,000 to P30,000 for failing to file the statement for the first time. 

For the second offense, a fine of P2,000 to P60,000 is also imposed plus lifetime disqualification from public office.

On the issue of Senate presidency, Osmeña said President Aquino’s support for the bid of Sen. Francis Pangilinan has given the latter a big advantage over his rivals.