Only gov’t money should be used for election campaigns

This refers to the news article “PH presidential candidates outspend billionaire Trump” (Front Page, 1/7/15). “Presidential candidates in the Philippines are spending on media advertising more than what American billionaire Donald Trump has spent for his dream to sit in the White House,” the article says. Where do the candidates draw such an immense amount of money to fund their television commercials? The not-so-privileged candidates can ill-afford to shell out such a fortune just to have political mileage.

Why don’t we push the idea of thwarting this extravagant practice by political candidates by legislating that only the national government should directly and indirectly fund the candidates’ election campaigns? By this we mean that we authorize government to allocate public money for election campaigns and distribute this among the legitimate political parties. By indirect funding, we mean government provides resources, such as common-sized tarpaulins, stickers and other campaign materials for the political parties. In this way, political parties can more easily be transparent and held accountable to the people and their members. They, too, can more easily make a report on their expenses after the election period.

In my view, private donations to political campaign kitties should be discouraged. Such donations would only tie up winning candidates to future compromises, even undesirable engagements.

—REGINALD B. TAMAYO, assistant city council secretary, Marikina City