THE Liberal Party’s Leni Robredo was the biggest spender on political ads among vice presidential contenders, buying P406.82 million worth of airtime from Feb. 9 to April 27, even surpassing her running mate Manuel Roxas II and two other presidential candidates, Nielsen Media reported Sunday.
The LP tandem of Roxas and Robredo were also the biggest spenders for TV ads, spending P83.87 million during the period. LP senatorial candidates also spent the most, buying TV ads worth a total of P1.73 billion, the Nielsen Media report showed.
The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) tandem of Vice President Jejomar Binay and his running mate Senator Gregorio Honasan was the second biggest spender with P74.14 million, while the team of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano of the PDP-Laban came in third, with TV ads worth P60.80 million.
The tandems of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero of the Partido Galing at Puso and Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago-Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not have TV ads together.
Separately, Poe placed TV ads worth P429.74 million while Escudero spent P269.05 million.
Minus the Poe-Escudero and Santiago-Marcos camps, the three tandems shelled out a total of P218.82 million.
Among vice presidential candidates, Escudero was the second largest spender, followed by Cayetano, who spent P185.39 million. They were followed by Senators Marcos (P45.64 million), Antonio Trillanes IV (P40.13 million) and Honasan (P21.83 million).
All told, the vice presidential candidates bought a total of P1.006 billion worth of airtime.
Of the 22 senatorial candidates that placed ads on major TV networks, nine were LP bets with a combined placement of P857.14 million, seven were from Poe’s slate at P465.17 million, two were from Binay’s UNA at P36.24 million and four independent senatorial candidates at P442.63.
The senatorial candidates bought total airtime of 855.8 minutes worth P1.73 billion.
From Feb. 9 to April 27, all five camps that spent for TV ads bought a combined P4.56 billion worth of airtime, with the Roxas camp spending the biggest chunk at P1.7 billion, followed by Poe’s camp at P1.16 billion, Duterte camp at P654.86 million, Binay camp at P507.97 million and Santiago’s camp at P86.66 million.
Among the senatorial candidates, independent Francis Tolentino was the top spender at P197.42 million for a total of 77.5 minutes with 11 percent in share of investment.
Tolentino was followed by LP’s Joel Villanueva at P150.81 million, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian of the Poe camp came in third at P141.99 million, followed by independent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez at P133.99 million.
LP’s reelectionist Senator Franklin Drilon was the fifth biggest spender at P133.42 million, followed by another LP candidate reelectionist Senator Ralph Recto at P188.8 million and Poe’s guest candidate independent Richard Gordon at P107.56 million and LP’s Francis Pangilinan ranked eighth at P105.32 million.
Those who spent less than P100 million were independent reelectionist Senator Sergio Osmeña III at P99.57 million, LP’s Risa Hontiveros and Jericho Petilla at P97.18 million and P85.21 million, respectively.
Former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri of the Poe camp shelled out P81.08 million followed by LP’s re-electionist Senator Teofisto Guingona III.
The rest of the LP candidates who bought ads placements were former Justice secretary Leila de Lima at P42.79 million and Mark Lapid at P5.40 million.
Those who belong to the Poe camp that also placed ads less than P50 million were Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares at P48 million, former Manila City Vice Mayor Isko Moreno at P40.08 million, re-electionist Senator Vicente Sotto III at P24.38 million and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo at P21.98 million.
The two senatorial candidates from UNA who bought airtime were world boxing champion Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao at P35.97 million and radio broadcaster Rey Langit at P270,000 for three minutes.
Independent former senator Panfilo Lacson Jr. placed ads amounting to P11.65 million.