Spending of 3 Villar senators over 2 decades underscores rising cost of Philippine elections

The Villar family’s campaigns over the last two decades have underscored the rising cost of elections in the Philippines.

Former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. claimed he spent P38.5 million during his first bid for a Senate seat in 2001. Two decades later, his son Mark reported spending more than three times the amount to campaign for the same position in 2022.

These amounts are based on the Statement of Contributions and Expenses (SOCE), a self-reported accounting of campaign donors and expenses that candidates file after the elections.

The SOCEs only cover spending during the official 90-day campaign period, which starts in the month of February.

Return of pol ads in 2001

The 2001 elections was the first exercise that saw the return of political ads. The Villar patriarch was the Speaker of the House of Representatives who had gained national prominence following his role in the impeachment trial of then President Joseph Estrada. It led to his ouster through a second “People Power.”

Villar launched his “Sipag at Tiyaga” TV and radio ads, spending P22 million or nearly 60% of his campaign fund on these materials.

After ranking 14th in the January 2001 senatorial survey, he placed seventh in the official tally. Analysts attributed his electoral victory to his successful ad campaign.

He would become senator for 12 years and served as Senate president. He reported spending P84.5 million in his reelection bid in 2007.

Estradas, too

A political dynasty that already has four members elected in the Senate are the Estradas. Former President Estrada served as senator from 1987 to 1992 before he was elected vice president in 1992 and president in 1998.

His wife and two sons later became senators, too.

Despite Estrada already being a household name, the family’s campaign spending over the last two decades also reflected rising cost of elections in the country.

Luisa “Loi” Ejercito Estrada also won a seat in the Senate in the 2001 elections, months after her husband was ousted.

She was the only candidate who outspent Manuel Villar in the 2001 elections. She reported spending P49 million.

Two decades later, in the 2022 elections, Estrada sons Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito reported spending P174.25 million and P165.79 million, respectively.

Comelec tried to limit ad spending in 2013

The impact of lifting the political ad ban in 2001 was immediate, especially in senatorial races. Relatively new names like Villar saw better chances of winning seats, even against household political names.

The Comelec tried in 2013 to control candidates’ ad spending. It issued rules limiting ads of national candidates to a total of 120 minutes for all TV stations and a total of 180 minutes for all radio stations.

TV networks questioned the constitutionality of the ad limits, however, citing the public’s right to information. The Supreme Court favored the networks.

It was the year Cynthia Villar succeeded her husband in the Senate. She reported spending P133.9 million in 2013 or more than three times her husband’s spending in 2001, based on her SOCE. Out of this amount, P131.6 million was drawn from her personal funds and only P2.6 million from other donors.

In one of the earliest manifestations of the power of social media in elections, her 2013 campaign saw her confronting negative feedback to a statement she made on Filipino nurses in a televised debate.

Filipino nurses slammed her for saying they do not need bachelor’s degrees because they only want to be “room nurses.” She later explained that she did not have enough time to explain what she meant.

Cynthia Villar still won and ranked 10th in the official tally. She was also reelected in 2019 and got the most votes, defeating popular candidate Sen. Grace Poe, after spending P135.5 million.

P1-B worth of ads in 2022, based on rate cards

Mark Villar joined her mother in the Senate in 2022.

He declared spending a little less than her mother, P131.8 million during his campaign, based on his SOCE. He received zero contributions and paid the entire amount out of his personal funds.

He reported spending up to 90% of this total campaign kitty or P119.8 million on advertisements.

Data from Nielsen Ad Intel show that he aired ads worth P1.13 billion before the elections. The amount was based on prevailing ad rates and does not include possible discounts the candidates may have received.

Guia said personality politics is to blame for the rising cost of elections in the country.

“Malaki ang gastos kasi kailangan gumastos on their own. Unless robust ang political party system, malaki ang gastusin kapag gusto mo manalo (The expenses are high because candidates need to spend on their own. Unless the political party system is robust, the costs are significant if you want to win).”

Comelec chairman George Garcia tried but failed to impose limits on ad spending, too.

In April, during a PCIJ conference where he was a keynote speaker, he said that the body would impose premature campaigning rules as soon as aspirants file their COCs.

It would have banned political advertising from October 1, when aspirants began to file their COCs, until the official campaign period in February 2025. “If they want to go to the Supreme Court, so be it,” Garcia said.

Garcia later walked back his statement, however.  He said they did not have a choice “but to respect the SC decision in the case of Penera vs Comelec and the provision of [RA] 9369 (law on automated election system).”

Laws on campaign spending apply to “candidates.” The SC ruled that aspirants only become candidates once the campaign period officially begins.

Outside the Magic 12 of surveys

Like her father, Camille is outside the “Magic 12” of surveys the year before the May 2025 polls. Only 21.2% of the respondents said they were going to vote for her if elections were held during the survey period, September 6-1

Cynthia and Mark Villar saw higher chances of winning when they first ran for the Senate. She ranked 9-11 with 32% of voters saying they will vote for her in September 2012.

Mark Villar ranked 9-10 in the September 2021 survey with 36.2% respondents saying they will vote for him during the survey period.

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

The Villars and the Estradas are not the only political dynasties to have at least two members in the Senate at the same time.

Incumbent Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano are siblings. Pia is seeking reelection.

Two siblings of neophyte senator Raffy Tulfo are also aiming for Senate seats next year. News broadcasters Erwin and Ben Tulfo topped the latest senatorial preference surveys, with 60.8% and 49.6% of respondents saying they will vote for them, respectively.

There will be three Tulfos in the Senate at the same time if they both win. — PCIJ.org