Sectoral groups, government officials and individuals supporting the administration of President Arroyo have spent at least P5 million in advertisements in three major broadsheets over the past three weeks.

Based on Newsbreak’s calculations, supporters of the Arroyo administration forked out P5.121 million for advertisements in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star, and the Manila Bulletin from February 16-March 10, 2008.

These advertisements have commonly expressed confidence in Arroyo’s leadership and called for sobriety in the wake of the National Broadband Network (NBN) corruption scandal.

P0.7M spent in anti-Arroyo ads

Meanwhile, groups that are calling for a snap election, the establishment of a transition council, and ads about the Arroyo’s administration duty to serve the truth spent P749,430.

For this report, we defined “pro-Arroyo administration ads” as all advertisements that express confidence in the present administration, call for sobriety, follow the Malacañang line of respecting the rule of law, follow the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines call for communal action, and ads that discredit Lozada.

All advertisements that either call for the establishment of a transition council, or ask President Arroyo to scrap Executive Order 464 (E0 464), to suspend all officials involved in the National Broadband Network deal, and to cooperate with the investigation are considered as “anti-Arroyo.”

Ad costs

Computations for this study were based on the latest advertising rates of the three newspapers. (See table of advertising costs)

More ads in Inquirer, Star

The cost of pro-Arroyo ads printed in the Inquirer amounted to P1.041 million while anti-Arroyo ads cost P749, 430.

The Philippine Star earned P2.8 million, and the Manila Bulletin got P1.27 million from pro-Arroyo ads. We did not find any anti-Arroyo ads in the Philippine Star and the Manila Bulletin. During the period Feruary 16-March 10  Philippine Star editors said however they carried anti-Arroyo ads such as Management Association of the Philippines statement and the Makati Business Club statement.

Among the pro-Arroyo ads that came out in recent weeks are statements and manifestos of support from various local government officials, transport groups, trade and workers union.

Diverse ads

On March 5, a full-page ad in the Inquirer and the Bulletin titled “28 Quarters of Economic Growth” showed the signatures of 74 congressmen, 68 governors, 37 mayors and eight barangay officials who described the recent controversy as “pointless, divisive and counterproductive.”

A multi-sectoral coalition, Kongreso ng Mamamayan, also came up with an advertisement that lashes out at NBN witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. A portion of the ads reads: Kung susuriin ang kanyang pagkatao bilang opisyal ng pamahalaan siya ay nakadidismaya. Ngunit siya ay tinatanghal na bayani”

“Kung si Lozada ang mukha ng katotohanan, tila tabingi ang mukha ng katotohanan,” the ad of Kongreso ng Mamamayan reads.

Local officials’ ads

The League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipal Mayors from Mindanao, five governors from the Cordillera Administrative Region, and sultans from the Sultanate of Lanao also came up with advertisements showing their support for Arroyo.

The LCP said in their advertisement that the political noise in Manila “does not represent the true sentiments” of the people. It also affirmed that they are for “stability and security that will ensure continued investments and economic gains” for the country. The group, composed of 120 city mayors, said that they adhere to the Constitution and the rule of law.

Other local officials have also called for sobriety and affirmed their support for Arroyo

Ex-cabinet men ads

Meanwhile, among the anti-Arroyo advertisements that graced the pages of the broadsheets in recent days are the call of the former senior government officials for the government to serve the truth, and the appeal of the concerned women of Assumption community for Arroyo to cancel EO 464 and release documents involved in the NBN deal.

An ad of an organization that calls itself, Filipino Democratic Nationalist Reform Movement, asked priest-turned Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio to lead a transition council. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)

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