MANILA, Philippines – The Liberal Party (LP) on Tuesday submitted its Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) almost a week after the deadline for filing.
A staff member of LP filed its SOCE documents contained in five boxes and declared a total of P241,097,372.73 in expenditures.
Based on its SOCE, LP received a total of P181,080,000 in cash contributions from other sources and non-members and spent P60,017,372.73 in cash contributions from its party members.
LP’s SOCE was notarized by lawyer Doris Ramirez on June 10 and was organized by its treasurer Alfonso Umali Jr.
Reports said the Comelec en banc has yet to decide whether it will accept the party’s SOCE since it was submitted past the June 8 deadline.
On June 9, the LP and its standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II asked for a two-week extension to complete the filing of their SOCE. Roxas’s spokesman Akbayan party-list Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez said they sought for the extension due to the number of receipts needed to be attached within the SOCE.
Roxas has yet to submit his SOCE.
LP bet and Vice President-elect Leni Robredo, however, was able to file her SOCE on time. Earlier, talks arose that she might not be allowed to take office if her party fails to file its own documents before June 30.
According to Comelec Resolution No. 9991, the late filing of the SOCE amounts to a de facto non-filing of SOCE, which has the effect of forfeiture of elective posts aside from the hefty penalties that they have to pay.
It added that Republic Act 7166 or the Synchronized Local and National Elections and for Electoral Reforms does not authorize the Comelec to extend the deadline for filing of SOCE.
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