COUNCILORS Teodulfo Lao Jr. and Enrico Salcedo of this city are in trouble over the failure of their political party to file a Statement of Election Contributions and Expenditures (Soce) for the 2016 elections, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported yesterday.
Lao and Salcedo were identified together with a councilor from Alaminos, Margielou Orange Humilde who all run for city council seats under the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP).
Part of PCIJ’s report reads: “RA 7166 states that these winning candidates cannot take on the duties of his/her office without his/her Soce. Also in similar trouble are election winners whose parties did not file Soce.”
CDP, headed by former Cagayan de Oro congressman Rufus Rodriguez, was identified as among the political parties that did not submit Soces in last year’s elections. The others are the Workers Peasants Party, Partido Balikatan ng Bataan, Mindoro Sandugo Para sa Kaunlaran, Una ang Makati; and Kilusang Diwa ng Taguig.
PCIJ, citing data from the Commission on Elections, reported that the CDP fielded at least 43 candidates in the 2016 elections, including Lao, Salcedo, and Humilde from Alaminos.
The report also said that six party-list groups failed to submit Soces after the 2016 elections although none of them won a seat in the House of Representatives. The groups are Anti-War/Anti-Terror Mindanao Peace Movement, Alagaan Natin Ating Kalusugan, Alliance for National Urban Poor Organizations Assembly Inc., National Confederation of Tricycles Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines Inc., Ugnayan ng Maralita Laban sa Kahirapan; and Partido Manggagawa.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
