Neri Colmenares complains TV advertising too expensive

MANILA, Philippines — A leftist senatorial candidate is complaining about the “dizzying” cost of television advertising that aspirants with inadequate funding like him could not afford.

Former congressman and Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares said he has thus resorted to using social media to promote his candidacy.

“The cost of TV advertising is dizzying, even if they offer you a discount. Imagine shelling out a million pesos for a 30-second spot!” he said.

With the prohibitive cost, he said only moneyed candidates are able to afford TV ads.

This is why only the faces of multimillionaire and billionaire aspirants are seen on television, he added.

Colmenares vowed to raise funds not for TV spots but for his social media campaign “to reach more voters.”

He said based on the number of views and repeat postings on his platforms, his campaign is gaining ground.

Aside from TV and social media, candidates buy ad space or time in newspapers and radio programs.

A recent study showed that several senatorial aspirants had spent billions on pre-election campaign advertising.

The biggest spenders include former officials and senators seeking re-election. They are also the candidates who would likely make it to the winning circle of 12 based on surveys.

There have been proposals in Congress to prohibit pre-election campaign advertising, which is not illegal since it is done outside the campaign period. – With Paolo Romero, Helen Flores, Cecille Suerte Felipe