Category: Paper Chase

The stars bankroll elections, too

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WHICH CELEBRITIES from the glitzy world of movies, music, and sports have made donations to the candidates in the last five elections?

The “Mega Star”, the “Star for All Seasons”, and the “Queen of All Media” — they count among the pool of celebrities who have helped bankroll the campaign of national candidates and the major political parties in the last five national and midterm elections since 1998.

Kris Aquino, “Queen of All Media”, had donated P20 million and P15 million to her brother Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III when he ran for senator in 2007, and for president in 2010, respectively. Kris had also contributed P5 million to the Liberal Party and P10 million to party-list group Akbayan in the 2010 elections.

“Mega Star” Sharon Cuneta, meanwhile, has twice supported the campaign of her husband, Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan. In 2001, Sharon, along with mother Elaine (sister of actress Helen Gamboa) donated P3 million each to Pangilinan. In 2007, Sharon contributed P2 million for Kiko’s re-election bid.

In the 2001 elections, “Star for All Seasons” Vilma Santos gave P5 million to her husband Senator Ralph Recto’s campaign.

In 2010, a donor from Koronadal City who is a namesake of retired professional basketball player Kenneth Duremdes made a P3-million donation to Senator Pia Cayetano’s campaign.

Also in 2010, donors who are namesakes of musicians Vincent Frederick Dancel (Twisted Halo/Peryodiko) and Kristina G. Dancel (Fatal Posporos/Cambio/Duster) gave P250,000 each to the campaign of Akbayan.

Singer Imelda Papin contributed P5,000 to Bangon Pilipinas, the party of presidential candidate Eddie C. Villanueva in 2010.

For more information about the donors to the candidates in the last five elections, check out PCIJ’s MoneyPolitics Online.

Quick Quiz: Which senator reports an unchanged net worth in 20 yrs?

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NOT ANY POORER OR RICHER since 1993?

Which senator of the 15th Congress has not reported any increase or decrease in wealth from 20 years ago?

a. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
b. Manuel M. Lapid
c. Joker P. Arroyo
d. Panfilo M. Lacson

Unlike many of his colleagues, Senator Joker P. Arroyo’s net worth has remained unchanged in all the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) that he has filed in the last two decades.

For some inexplicable reasons, Arroyo said his wealth did not rise or fall, despite his long years in politics and the growth in the national economy.

His SALN for 1993, the earliest copy that the PCIJ has on file, listed his net worth at P11.05 million.

Since then, Arroyo has been declaring the same amount until 2011, according to his latest SALN that PCIJ has on file.

See the SALNs and wealth timeline of Arroyo and the other senators in PCIJ’s MoneyPolitics Online.

By the Numbers: P50 vs P100M

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HOW MUCH have people donated to get candidates elected? What was the upper limit? What was the lower limit?

Fifty pesos was the lowest amount in cash donation ever that was reported to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

This was received by candidate Nicanor Jesus ‘Nicky’ Perlas III, who ran for president in 2010, from a donor named “Seth Jordan”.

It was also in 2010, however, when presidential candidate Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party received the highest amount of donation ever reported to Comelec.

Aquino received P100 million from cousin and businessman Antonio ‘Tonyboy’ Cojuangco.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD received P100 million in two tranches from businessman Emmanuel ‘Noel’ Oñate, who acquired AirAsia Airlines and renamed it Asian Spirit (now Zest Airways) in 1995, during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, Lakas-Kampi-CMD chairman emeritus.

For more information on campaign donors, browse PCIJ’s MoneyPolitics.

So you think you know elections? Take the MoneyPolitics Quick Quiz

Ed Lingao Leave a comment

MOST OF US are probably veterans of elections, that event that pundits like to call the favorite past-time of Filipinos, in the league of fiestas and siestas. But how much we really know about Philippine elections will show just how serious we are about the process.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s MoneyPolitics Online offers Quick Quizzes, little bits and pieces of election information to test just how much we know about that political exercise that visits us every three years.

Quick Quiz No. 1

True of False:

The May 2010 elections marked the first-ever automated elections in Philippine history.

The answer to that quiz may be found here.

Try to answer the question first on your own before taking a peek. No cheating!

More quizzes to come in our countdown to election day.

 

 

The 33 candidates for senator: Can they explain their wealth?

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ARE THEY RICH, or are they poor? Were they born to wealth, or did they make money on their own labors? Did they bare all the facts of their assets, or mask the important details? What money and which donors make up their power base?

Can the 33 candidates for senator explain their wealth?

As the nation prepares to vote tomorrow, May 13, 2013, the baseline data on the wealth of the candidates should be clear at the outset to all the voters. This way, once the lucky ones get into office, the people could discern the rise or fall in their personal fortunes. In short, a status quo ante record.

Our latest offering, The Wealth of the 33 Candidates for Senator, is a four-part story on the business interests and financial connections of the candidates for senator.

For this report, the PCIJ reviewed all the relevant public records (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALNs, election spending reports, and reports on use and disbursement of pork barrel funds) of the candidates with tenure in public office.

The PCIJ also conducted a reverse search of registry records at the Securities and Exchange Commission to check in which corporate entities all 33 candidates have significant or controlling interest.

Authored by PCIJ Research Director Karol Ilagan and PCIJ Researcher-Writer Rowena Caronan, this report consists of four parts:

* The re-electionist senators, or those seeking a second term of office.

* The members of the House of Representatives who are now aspiring to sit in the Senate.

* The former senators who want to return to the Senate.

* The new, and not-so-new, candidates who want to be senators, even as many of them have no significant record of public service as yet.

You may read the PCIJ’s report in MoneyPolitics Online:

* THE RE-ELECTIONIST SENATORS:
SALNS bare some, mask other details
* Sidebar:
Wealth + donors + clans = power base

THE HOUSE’S WANNA-BE SENATORS:
* Propped by rich clans, big donors
* Sidebar:
Sons & daughters

* THE WANNA-BE SENATORS AGAIN:
No paupers despite break from politics

* The WANNA-BE SENATORS, TOO:
Family wealth, spouses’ assets boost a few newbies

The individual profiles and datasets on the 33 candidates, by their SALNs, election spending reports, and corporate records from the SEC, may be viewed on MoneyPolitics Online and the PCIJ portal.