Two candidates aired ads worth more or less P2 billion from January to December last year. Campaign finance laws do not cover these expenses, however. Spending limits only take effect starting February 11, when the campaign period officially began.
If these expenses were covered, the candidates would need massive discounts to keep the spending within the limits of the law.
I sought the help of former Commission on Elections commissioner Luie Tito Guia and Legal Network for Truthful Elections executive director Rona Ann Caritos for guidance on the laws relevant to my objective: calculating the discounts candidates would need from TV stations to stay within spending limits.
Senatorial candidates with political parties are allowed to spend P3 for every registered voter. With 68,618,667 registered voters in the May 2025 elections, it’s equivalent to P205.86 million.
Independent candidates or those without political parties may spend more: P5 for every registered voter.
Republic Act No. 11207 mandates 50% discounts for television ads aired by candidates during the campaign period. It would not be enough to cover P2 billion worth of ads, however.
Based on these, candidates with political parties will need an additional 79% stacked discount from TV stations so he or she will be charged P210 million for ads worth P2 billion. It would be less than the spending limit.
The law allows television stations to grant additional discounts, provided that the same discounts will be given to other candidates.
CANDIDATES WITH POLITICAL PARTIES: 50% discount under R.A. 11207
| If cost before discounts: | P 2,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost after 50% required by R.A. 11207 | P 1,000,000,000.00 |
| Spending limit for senatorial candidates: | P 205,856,001.00 |
| Overspending: | P 794,143,999.00 |
CANDIDATES WITH POLITICAL PARTIES: 50% + 79% stacked discount
| If cost before discounts: | P 2,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost after 50% required by R.A. 11207: | P 1,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost if given additional 79% discount: | P 210,000,000.00 |
| Spending limit for senatorial candidates: | P 205,856,001.00 |
| Overspending: | None |
In comparison, independent candidates will need additional 66% stacked discount so he or she will be charged P340 million for the same worth of ads based on published rate cards.
INDEPENDENT SENATORIAL CANDIDATES: 50% discount under R.A. 11207
| If cost before discounts: | P 2,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost after 50% discount required by R.A. 11207: | P 1,000,000,000.00 |
| Spending limit for candidates: | P 343,093,335.00 |
| Overspending: | P 656,906,665.00 |
INDEPENDENT SENATORIAL CANDIDATES: 50% + 66% stacked discount
| If cost before discounts: | P 2,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost after 50% required by R.A. 11207: | P 1,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost if given additional 65% discount: | P 340,000,000.00 |
| Spending limit for candidates: | P 343,093,335.00 |
| Overspending: | None |
Political parties can share the cost of campaigns, too. They are entitled to spend P5 for every registered voter.
I asked Guia if we can assume that candidates may spend a maximum of P8 for every registered voter if their political parties allocate their resources to that one candidate. In this scenario, an additional 45% stacked discount will be necessary, on top of the mandatory 50%, to reduce the bill to P550 million. It would be less than the combined spending limit of candidates and parties.
But Guia said no. The spending limits cannot be combined.
“Parties and candidates are separately responsible so I wouldn’t add the two, to be strict about it. It obscures responsibilities and misleads candidates into including party expenses as theirs. They might be charged by mistakenly assuming that the true limit is P8, not P3,” he said.
POLITICAL PARTY SHARES COST: 50% discount under R.A. 11207
| If cost before discounts: | P 2,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost after 50% required by R.A. 11207 | P 1,000,000,000.00 |
| Spending limit for senatorial candidates: | P 205,856,001.00 |
| Spending limit for political parties: | P 343,093,335.00 |
| Overspending: | P 451,050,664.00 |
POLITICAL PARTY SHARES COST: 50% + 45% stacked discount
| If cost before discounts: | P 2,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost after 50% required by R.A. 11207 | P 1,000,000,000.00 |
| Cost if given additional 45% discount: | P 550,000,000.00 |
| Spending limit for senatorial candidates: | P 205,856,001.00 |
| Spending limit for political parties: | P 343,093,335.00 |
| Overspending: | None |
I did the math to show the value of the data we get from Nielsen Ad Intel. The amounts based on published rate cards are not exact but, as Guia said, they are indicative of candidates’ spending during the campaign. The data also underscores the influence of money in politics, he said.
PCIJ believes campaign finance is the most important aspect of election exercises because of its implications beyond election day.
The rising cost of elections discriminates against qualified candidates who do not have access to resources. How candidates fund their campaigns could also lead to potential conflicts of interest should the candidate win posts in government. — PCIJ.org