Nancy Binay agent writes PCIJ:
Pol ads only P51M, not P82.8M

THE ADVERTISING agent of senatorial candidate Ma. Lourdes Nancy Binay (United Nationalist Alliance) on Friday took exception to a PCIJ report that his client has aired and booked P82.8 million worth of political advertisements, based on contracts submitted by print and broadcast media agencies to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Tom Banguis, Jr., Chairman/CEO of Mediaforce Vizeum, Binay’s advertising agent, said that Binay has so far incurred “only P51 million in political advertisements” for the first 60 days (Feb. 12 to April 10, 2013) of the 90-day official campaign period.

Mr Banguis wrote: “We suspect that your Comelec sources did not properly distinguish between aired spots and importantly, those booked for future airing. Since we have booked Ms. Binay’s ads to cover her campaign up to May 11, it is likely that your source may have provided data on her total booking for the whole election campaign.”

A more careful reading of the PCIJ story should have clarified matters to Mr. Banguis. The PCIJ stands by its story.

The story precisely stated that the P82.8-million figure represented the political ads “aired, published, and booked” for Binay and the other candidates, according to advertising contracts that media agencies have signed and sealed with the candidates, the political parties, and party-list groups.

Media agencies are required in law to submit to the Comelec copies of all advertising contracts, broadcast logs, and telecast orders after every 30 days of the campaign period.

The PCIJ story was based on the documents that the media agencies had submitted to the Comelec for the period covering Feb. 12 to April 10, 2013, the first 60 days of the 90-day official campaign period for national candidates.

The media agencies, not the Comelec, reported the fact of the purchase of political ads for Binay during the period covered in their reports.

It must be noted that the major networks enforce a “pay before broadcast” policy among its advertising clients, which entails payment of advertisements before actual airing date.

The PCIJ story looked at the political ad expenses for and by the candidates and the political parties, according to the contracts submitted to Comelec.

Because the contracts had been signed and submitted to the Comelec, the values of the ads may be clearly considered as expenses incurred for and by the candidates.

The PCIJ has yet to aggregate the total airtime that the candidates have incurred, pending the airing of all their booked ads.

The PCIJ story had precisely noted that some of the political ads had been booked for broadcast up to May 11, 2013, the last day of the campaign period.

The documents from the media agencies showed that this was the same case with Binay’s UNA party and Binay’s party-mate, Cagayan Rep. Juan ‘Jack’ Ponce Enrile Jr., also clients of Mediaforce.

Like Mediaforce, however, other advertising agencies had also booked ads for their respective clients scheduled for airing until May 11.

They include Zenith Optemdia for San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito and the Bagong Henerasyon party-list group; Mediacom for Aurora Rep. Edgardo Angara Jr., Havas Media Ortega/Mejah for re-electionist senator Loren Legarda, Tiger 22 Media Corp. for Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Message Bureau Inc. for re-electionist senator Francis Escudero, and MultimediaScape Inc. for former senator Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal.

Angara, Legarda, Poe-Llamanzares, Escudero, and Madrigal are candidates of the Team PNoy coalition led by President Aquino’s Liberal Party.

In addition, the following party-list groups have also procured political ads with May 11 as “finish date” of airing, on “direct” arrangements with the media agencies — ABAKADA, ABS, Ading, AKO Bikol, and AMS.

Below is the full text of the letter that Mediaforce sent to PCIJ:

Ms. Malu Mangahas
PCIJ

Ms. Mangahas,

This is to call attention to the PCIJ article “P1.3 Billion Pol ads aired, booked” as it contains inaccurate information on the ad spending of the senatorial candidates for the period February 12-April 10. In particular, Nancy Binay’s spending for the period was erroneously reported as P82.8 Million.

Based on ad contracts submitted to the networks, Ms. Binay’s actual expenditures amounted to only P51 million for the said period. Based on Nielsen estimates, the other candidates expenditures were Villar P 63.9 Million, Cayetano P59 Million, Aquino P56 Million, Enrile P54 Million, and Poe P48 Million. Team UNA expenditures were only P45.5 Million. These figures are significantly different from those the PCIJ reported. Please refer to attached. Please do not hesitate to call us for any further clarification you may find necessary.

We suspect that your Comelec sources did not properly distinguish between aired spots and importantly, those booked for future airing. Since we have booked Ms. Binay’s ads to cover her campaign up to May 11, it is likely that your source may have provided data on her total booking for the whole election campaign.

We would appreciate your rectification of the said PCIJ report. Thank you and best regards.

Tom Banguis, Jr.
Chairman/CEO
Mediaforce Vizeum