Go topped the list with an ad spending of P422.5 million, despite having a net worth of only P12.9 million. Roxas, who already spent close to half a billion in his failed 2016 presidential run, placed third with a precampaign expense of P401 million. Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque already spent P174 million in precampaign ads before he decided to quit the Senate race early this month supposedly due to health reasons. It’s a challenge for them to ensure transparency prior to the start of monitoring for election expenses,” he said. Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said that in the absence of a law mandating the reporting of precampaign expenses, the Comelec should conduct an investigation to determine where the candidates sourced their funds.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 16, 2019 23:26 UTC