Villar TV ads fall within set airtime

Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manny Villar yesterday believes his campaign ads on television fall within the allowable airtime set by law as he criticized a report that he and another presidentiable have exceeded the maximum time limit.

"....Kami ay sumusunod sa batas, sumusunod kami sa pagbilang niyan," Villar said.

Reports claimed that Villar and Liberal Party standard-bearer Noynoy Aquino have already exceeded their maximum air time of 120 minutes.

Villar, reports said, has used 122.5 minutes and 128.25 minutes in major TV networks ABS-CBN and GMA-7, respectively, from February 9 to March 24 while Aquino has used 129 minutes in ABS-CBN. He has 2 minutes left in GMA-7.

"The reports may give the wrong impression in the minds of the public. I'd like to believe that there was inadvertent mistake in the counting of our TV airtime, perhaps by adding the NP TV ads in the count," Villar said.

The Comelec earlier said some candidates have already exceeded the airtime limit and corresponding sanctions may be filed against them.

"Alam naman natin na may mga batas tungkol dyan at maingat naman kami sa pagsunod ng mga patakaran ng Comelec. Tiwala naman ako na hindi ako isa sa mga tinutukoy," Villar said when asked to comment about the Comelec statement.

(We are aware that there are existing laws regulating campaign ads that should be strictly followed. I believe I'm not one of those being alluded to by Comelec.)

Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Election Act imposes a 120-minute TV airtime limit and 90-minute radio airtime limit for campaign ads of presidential candidates.