Nagbabala kahapon si Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago sa publiko laban sa pagsuporta sa mga kandidatong gumastos na ng daan-daang milyong piso sa political advertisements gayung hindi pa nagsisimula ang aktuwal na campaign period.

Ito ang naging babala ng senadora matapos na ang apat niyang kalaban sa pagkapangulo ay gumastos na ng kabuuang P2.3 bilyon para sa television ads mula Enero hanggang Disyembre 2015, na pinangunahan ng Liberal Party bet na si Mar Roxas, na gumastos ng P774 milyon, kasunod sina Vice President Jejomar Binay, P695 milyon; Sen. Grace Poe, P694 milyon; at Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, P129 milyon.

“The question we must ask is this: How will these politicians recover the scandalous amounts they spend for their campaign? The simple answer is that they will steal from public funds, or will at least be tempted to do so. An alternative would be to give favors to rich contributors, to the detriment of public interest,” ani Santiago.

Nagsusulong ng panukala laban sa premature campaigning, ipinaalala ni Santiago na dapat na gumastos lang ang bawat kandidato sa pagkapangulo ng P10 sa kada botante, o may kabuuang P545 milyon para sa 54.5 milyong boboto sa Mayo 9.

“A president’s salary is only P120,000 a month. He or she may thus expect to earn only P8.64 million for the six years that he or she is in office. These big spenders therefore cannot say that they will earn their money back if elected,” paliwanag niya.

“Of course they can say they are not spending their own money, and that their campaign is fuelled by contributions. Who are their contributors? What kind of favors will they ask from the president whose candidacy they bankrolled?” dagdag niya. - Charissa M. Luci