Keep power in check; fix poll finance rules before 2028

In just over two years, the country will again head into a high-stakes national election.

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But long before the first ballot is cast in May 2028, a more fundamental contest must be resolved: the battle for clarity in our campaign finance laws. The recent ruling involving a case regarding Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) has exposed a troubling inconsistency—one that, if left unaddressed, could undermine the integrity of future elections.

At the core of the confusion lies what appears to be a legal puzzle. On one hand, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) absolved an elective official for failure to disclose campaign contributions, citing the Peñera Doctrine—that a person is not considered a candidate until the start of the campaign period. On the other hand, the same decision found fault with the campaign fund contributors under Section 99 of the Omnibus Election Code, which penalizes failure to report contributions made to a “candidate”. How can contributions be illegal if the recipient was, legally speaking, not yet a candidate?