"Tonyboy" leads Noynoy financial contributors

By LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO
June 17, 2010, 11:09am

Out of the 96 people who contributed to his campaign, president-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III received the biggest cash donation from his uncle Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco.

Aquino’s Statement of Contribution Received for the May 10 polls filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) revealed that Cojuangco donated P100 million to the incoming president.

Aside from Cojuangco, others who donated cash to Aquino are businessmen Martin Ignacio Lorenzo of Del Monte Phils. (P20 million); Bu Hong Chiong from Ozamis City (P20 million); Leonardo Javier Jr. of Andoks (P14 million); David Lim and Elena Lim of the Solid Group of Companies (P10 million each); Felix Ang of Cats Motors (Php10 million); Abeto Uy of Philsteel Group of Companies (P10 million); Gerardo Esquivel, a businessman-friend of Aquino (P10 million); businessman Alex Tanwangco (P10 million); and construction magnate Engr. Jose Ramon Aliling (P10 million).

Former senior government officials were also key contributors in the Aquino campaign. Fulgencio Factoran Jr., who served as environment secretary during the administration of Cory Aquino, contributed P20 million, while Cesar Purisima, who was a former trade secretary under the Arroyo administration, gave another P10 million.

Aquino’s sisters also donated cash to his campaign Kris Aquino-Yap with P15 million, Pinky Aquino-Abellardo P5 million, and Ballsy Aquino-Cruz with P3 million.

All in all, the camp of Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer received a total of P440.05 million cash donations.

Meanwhile, the statement filed by Aquino also revealed that there are still some P36.93 million campaign funds that have been saved by his camp.

Aquino earlier claimed that his total campaign expenditure was only P403.119 million for the entirety of the campaign period, which was from February 9 to May 8.

Section 14 of Republic Act 7166 states that every candidate should file their statements within 30 days after the day of the elections, saying it should be “the full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election.”