President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies are now trying to sanitize his controversial declaration that he would bring “sacks” of money when he hits the 2022 campaign trail to promote candidates of his political party, PDP-Laban.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque on Monday, July 19, said what Duterte, PDP-Laban chairman, meant was only that he would help raise funds from private groups for party bets.

“There is no prohibition in the Omnibus Election Code to raise funds from private individuals for the candidacies of individuals. So that is what the President meant,” he said during a Malacañang press briefing.

“It’s an assurance to his party mates that not only will he physically campaign for them, he will also raise funds for them,” added Roque.

However, PDP-Laban secretary-general Melvin Matibag didn’t make the same clarification.

In a press briefing on the same day, Matibag only said he thought Duterte was joking.

“We all know that our President likes to make jokes,” he said in Filipino.

What did Duterte say, exactly?

Duterte made no indication at all that he meant only private and not government funds.

“Those running for elections, ikakampanya ko kayo, city for city, totoo ‘yan… Talagang pupunta ako, city to city, province to province, kakampanya ako. At saka magdala ako ng maraming pera, sako kung mayroon,” he said.

(Those running for elections, I will campaign for you, city to city, it’s true… I will really go, city to city, province to province, I will campaign for you. And I will bring lots of money. In sacks, if there are.)

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His wording was also that he would bring the money on the campaign trail itself, raising concerns of vote-buying, an act prohibited by the election code but which has been known to take place in different parts of the country during elections.

Money, whether raised from private groups or taken fro government coffers, can be used to entice Filipinos to vote for certain candidates. – Rappler.com