Elections in the Philippines are expensive, and there are many reasons why this is so.
The geographical reason is obvious: the country is composed of more than 7,000 islands big and small, and transportation whether by land, sea, or air is not always available.
With demand so big and supply inadequate, transport costs have skyrocketed such as the prices of petroleum products. Food, accommodations, information materials, billboards, posters, media announcements and other campaign expenses also have reached the roof, especially television commercials.
We will have to add here the cost of social media advertisements and other visibility costs.
The actual campaign leading to election day is the costliest of all. A candidate would need to pay the salaries of watchers, volunteers, and other personnel of the campaign, aside from their food and other expenses. Funds are also needed for security of the candidate and the campaign staff, especially during town hall meetings and rallies.
It seems only the rich or the candidates with wealthy backers may have the opportunity to run in the elections.
This pressing need for funds to run a campaign necessitates the acceptance of campaign “donations” from all sources, including illegal ones, such as jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling, illegal POGO operations, illegal drugs, money laundering, kidnappings and bank robberies. This is the reason behind the surge in criminal activities weeks before an election.
This week, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos warned that illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators could fund candidates for the 2025 elections amid the discovery of POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and in Porac, Pampanga as well as the alleged direct involvement of suspended Mayor Alice Guo in the questionable activities.
“There could always be that possibility of illegal means, illegal POGO, illegal jueteng or illegal e-sabong and worse, even illegal drugs, narco politics. All of these things could possibly affect an election,” Abalos told a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City as he reiterated his warning against local government executives who will allow the operation of illegal POGO in their areas.
Abalos said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have intensified the campaign against POGO to prevent the election of politicians involved in illegal activities.
“All of these things, whether we like it or not, this illegal money is being used to prop up candidates,” Abalos said as he noted that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) only authorized the operation of 43 POGOs in Metro Manila and Cavite.
The DILG chief also said that the Office of the Ombudsman and Sangguniang Panlalawigan have the authority to suspend officials involved in illegal POGOs like the one “being done in Pampanga by Vice Gov. (Lilia) Pineda.”
Nineteen mayors in Pampanga, through its chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, issued a resolution opposing the operation of POGO in their jurisdictions. They also called on the national government and regulatory agencies, including Pagcor, to enforce regulations and oversight.
The 19 local chiefs also asked for an immediate moratorium on new POGO licenses in Pampanga until comprehensive measures address the associated risks.
According to Abalos, the criminal aspect of the POGO cases is being handled by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) acting as co-complainant.
“We have a task force to check if it has a mayor’s permit or none as the statements are conflicting. Remember two years ago, I led the raid of Lucky South 99 in Angeles… so I was surprised how come it was the same company in Porac,” he said.
Since both the police and local officials are under him, Secretary Abalos should inquire why the operation of illegal POGOs still continues while these officials are physically in their areas of jurisdiction and presumably working every day. Abalos should also ascertain if indeed the mayor of Porac, Pampanga was not allowed by the private firm inside its compound, even if his business is to check compliance to fire, sanitation and other local government concerns. If so, then we might as well close the “municipio” rather than have an emasculated municipal hall.
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