Each national candidate are allowed only 120 minutes of advertising air time per TV network.
AGB Nielsen data shows that from February 9 to March 24, Villar of the Nationalista Party (NP) has used 122.5 minutes and 128.25 minutes in major TV networks ABS-CBN and GMA-7, respectively.
In the same time period, Aquino of the Liberal Party has used 129 minutes in ABS-CBN. He has 2 minutes left in GMA-7.
Table of air time: February 9 to March 24 | ||
Candidate | ABS-CBN | GMA 7 |
Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III (Liberal Party) | 129 minutes | 118 minutes |
Former president Joseph Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) | 77.5 minutes | 65 minutes |
Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon (Bagumbayan) | 52 minutes | 43 minutes |
Evangelist Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas Party) | 3.5 minutes | 4 minutes |
Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar Jr (Nationalista Party) | 122.5 minutes | 128.5 minutes |
Presented by Pera at Pulitika, AGB Nielsen | ||
The AGB Nielsen report was presented on Friday morning by the Pera at Pulitika consortium, which monitors the candidates’ adherence to campaign finance laws.
LP: 'We did not exceed air time'
The AGB Nielsen only counted the air time of ads directly endorsing the presidential candidates, according to PaP consortium head Roberto Cadiz. They did not include the ads where the entire slate were endorsed and the ads where the presidential candidates were endorsing other bets.
“We want to play it safe,” Cadiz told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
Liberal Party spokesperson Edwin Lacierda denied the numbers, however.
“Our internal media monitoring shows that we have not exceeded our air time per network. You are provided also the minuets of the political party,” he said in a phone interview.
LP campaign manager Butch Abad said Aquino is using the party’s allowable air time. “The LP may allow its candidates to use this,” he said.
Lacierda said they have also asked the TV networks to issue them "a certificate saying we have not exceeded or air time limits."
Lacierda said the report will not stop them from airing Aquino’s ads. “We will still be airing our political ads. We will target strategic placements. We will not violate the law. We are consulting with our legal team,” Lacierda said.
Abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak also asked NP spokesperson Gilbert Remulla to comment on the report, but he said: “Let me ask.” He is yet to issue a statement as of this posting.
Jail for candidates, network officials
It’s not the first national elections where AGB Nielsen reported that candidates are exceeding the allowable air time. However, a case is yet to be filed against anyone.
Cadiz said this violation is a ground for disqualification. It’s easy to file a case, too. Any citizen can initiate the complaint.
The Commission on Elections has the power to immediately disqualify a candidate if he or she is found to be violating election laws. The candidate may also face up to 6 years in jail, according to Section 264 of the Omnibus Election Code.
But Cadiz said the time it will take the courts to rule on a case is another matter. “How long would it take before a candidate is disqualified? Your guess is as good as ours,” he said.
Cadiz also warned officials of TV networks that they may also be made liable for allowing candidates to exceed their allowable air time.
Citing corporate law, Cadiz said that those who signed contracts with respective political parties or candidates would be liable for an election offense. He said they may also get jail term of up to 6 years.
www.abs-cbnnews.com
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