Villar did not exceed TV ad limit - ABS-CBN

Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manny Villar is far from exceeding the allowed number of minutes for his ads on one of the major broadcast networks.

In a letter to media placement agency Starcom Philippines, Gia Apelo-Ramos of Channel 2 Sales said that based on the Channel 2 Manila Certificate of Performance (CP) covering the period February 9 to March 28, Villar has so far logged only 41.25 minutes.

For the same period, the NP has logged 83.5 minutes.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) allows each presidential and vice presidential candidate 120 minutes of paid air time per station for the duration of campaign which started last Feb. 9.

Earlier, Villar's critics alleged that he had already used up 122.5 minutes in ABS-CBN and 128.25 minutes in GMA-7.

Showing to reporters the said letter during his press conference, Villar said, "Nais kong ipakitang hindi kami nag-e-exceed sa limit, at makikita na yung aking personal na 40 minuto pa lamang ang aking nako-konsumo, at dito naman sa partido ay mahigit sa 80 minuto lamang.

"So malayo pa ako sa paglagpas sa limitasyon. Kaya nga kami nagtataka kung bakit sinamantala na naman kaagad ng aming mga kalaban itong isyung ito at idinadawit pilit ang aming pangalan. Ito'y kasama na naman ng mga black propaganda na nitong mga nakakaraang buwan ay sobra naman na ibinibintang sa amin lahat.

"Ngayon papatunayan naming isa-isa na lahat yan ay puro mali at ngayon ay haharapin namin yang mga ganyang isyu gaya nito.

"Isa na namang kasinungalingan ito na nasabi na kami raw ay lumagpas sa limitasyon. Hindi kami lumalagpas sa limitasyon, malayo pa kami sa paglagpas. Ang dapat nilang tingnan, sino ba talaga ang lumagpas? At yun ang dapat nilang palabasin," Villar stressed.