Camille Villar ramps up FB ad spending before COC filing, catches up with Wilbert Lee

By Carmela Fonbuena

Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

Like her father, mother, and brother before her, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar is entering the 2025 senatorial race with more resources than her rivals for her advertising campaign.

She has billboards and posters all over the country. She has ads on TV. She is also among the top ad spenders on Meta, formerly Facebook, the country’s most popular social media platform.

Meta’s Ad Library shows that she has spent P1.73 million to boost her ads on the social media platform from July to September 2024. The period covers 90 days before the start of filing of certificates of candidacies (COC) on October 1.

She almost matched the ad spending of Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee, a colleague in the House of Representatives who is also seeking a Senate seat. Lee spent about P1.75 million to boost ads, including some that ran without disclaimers.

Lee, among the early spenders on Meta, recorded higher spending in previous months. He filed his COC for the Senate on October 1.

The other candidate who has spent at least P1 million to boost ads on Meta over 90 days before the COC filing is Sen. Francis Tolentino, who recorded an expense of P1.3 million.

Tolentino is also enjoying prominence from ads on traditional media and billboards all over the country, and so is Lee.

Other senatorial aspirants boosting ads on Facebook include:

• reelectionist senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Romualdez Marcos, and Lito Lapid;
• former senators Benigno “Bam” Aquino” IV and Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan;
• former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, and
• SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta

The amounts include the ads run by the aspirants’ supporter pages. At least four accounts supporting Senator Go boosted ads, for example.

‘Hidden costs’

The amounts represent payments to boost posts in their Facebook page. They do not include the “hidden costs,” former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Luie Tito Guia told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

“The cost will increase if you account for the hidden costs. These candidates also hire endorsers and influencers [on social media]. We know they are also paid for their services,” said Guia.

Election reform advocates believe payments to influencers would constitute a bulk of spending on social media.

“They are spending to increase or maintain voter awareness. That explains the effort,” said Guia.

Guia said candidates should inform the public where the money came from and if there are strings attached. “Saan galing [ang pera]? At ano ang pambawi (Where did the money come from? And how will it be recovered)?” he said. “Burden ng politiko na magpaliwanag.”

In a media interview after he filed his COC, Lee said he used Facebook ads to inform the public about where they can access government services.

Lee was also asked to divulge how much he has spent on his information campaign so far. He said he would need some time to gather the data.

Villar, Lee, and Tolentino are outside the “Magic 12” of the September 2024 Pulse Asia senatorial pre-election survey.

Only 21.2% of the respondents said they were going to vote for Villar if elections were held during the survey period, September 6-13. Erwin and Ben Tulfo topped the polls, with 60.8% and 49.6% of the respondents, respectively, saying they will vote for the brothers of Sen. Raffy Tulfo.

Only 13.5% of the respondents said they would cast their ballot for Tolentino and only 1% for Lee, based on the same survey.

Fourth senator in one family?

Villar is being billed as a “new voice” in the Senate, but she could be the fourth in the family to become a senator if she wins next year.

She is the daughter of billionaire politicians, former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and outgoing Sen. Cynthia Villar, and sister of incumbent Sen. Mark Villar.  All four Villars began their political career in the House.

After she filed her COC, Camille was asked about criticisms against political dynasties, including her family.

“Para naman po sa akin, basta inihahalal po tayo ng ating mga kababayan, binibigyan tayo ng tiwala. Dapat hindi natin sinasayang ‘yan. So talagang taus-puso akong nagpapasalamat sa tiwala at suporta na ibinigay po ng ating mga kababayan sa aming pamilya,” she said.

(As far as I’m concerned, being elected by the people means we have earned their trust, and we should never waste that. I am thankful for the trust and support that the people have given to our family.)

Camille described herself as an entrepreneur before joining politics in 2019. Her website listed her as president and CEO of AllValue and director of Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. Starmalls Inc, and Golden Bria Holdings Inc. The businesses are into retail business and real estate.

Her website said she also previously served as president of All Home and Brittany Corporation, and head of corporate communications for Vista Land.

Heavy ad spenders

Camille Villar’s early spending is not surprising. The Villar family’s campaign spending over the past two decades highlights how the cost of running campaigns has steadily increased.

In 2001, fresh from his prominent role in the impeachment trial of then President Joseph Estrada as House Speaker, the elder Villar ran for the Senate in the midterm elections. He ranked 14th in the initial survey, but ended up seventh in the official tally after bombarding TV and radio with his “Sipag at Tiyaga” ads.

Analysts credited his successful ad campaign for his electoral victory in the 2001 midterms, which saw the lifting of the political advertising ban in the Philippines.

Villar spent P38.5 million, including P22 million on advertising, in his first bid for the Senate, based on his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE). He was among the top spenders, outspent only by Luisa “Loi” Ejercito, the wife of former President Estrada. Her spending totaled P49 million.

Villar served for 12 years, including as Senate president.

In their first Senate bids, Cynthia and Mark performed better in the polls during the year in the lead up to the elections.

Cynthia succeeded her husband in 2013. She ranked 9-11 with 32% of the respondents saying they would vote for her in the September 2012 survey.

Mark joined the Senate in 2022. He ranked 9-10th in the September 2021 survey with 36.2% of the respondents saying they would vote for him.

Cynthia Villar reported an expense of P133.9 million in 2013, up from her husband’s P38.5 million in 2001. Mark also emerged as the top spender among senatorial candidates in the 2022 elections. He declared spending P131.8 million during his campaign, based on his SOCE. — PCIJ.org