May 2019 Elections: Party-list ad spending and voting results
By Martha Teodoro
A total of 51 of the 134 party-list groups who ran in the 2019 midterm elections was able to earn at least one seat at the House of Representatives.
Only eight groups gained more than one seat, namely ACT-CIS, Bayan Muna, Ako Bicol, Cibac, Ang Probinsyano, 1-Pacman, Marino and Probinsyano Ako. Meanwhile, 42 party-list groups each gained a seat in the House of Representatives.
Of these eight groups, ACT-CIS, Ako Bicol, Cibac and Marino are among the top five political advertisements spenders.
The top party-list political spender during the campaign period was Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) Partylist, spending a total of P238,568,115.00. It also recorded the highest spending on radio with 2,774 seconds of radio plugs worth P100,589,394.00, and second highest spending on television with 215 ads for P135,921,804.00 and print with 128 ads for P2,056,917.00.
Founded in 1997, Cibac Party-list is a multisectoral organization composed of individuals with similar interests or concerns in fighting graft and corruption and cronyism in the government. Cibac earned 924,345 votes during the 2019 midterm elections.
The party-list group with the second highest political spending is the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-List. ACT-CIS spent the fourth most on TV with 137 ads worth P132,571,793.00 and radio with 255 radio plugs valued at P29,957,040.00. It spent only P63,756.00 for two print advertisements. ACT-CIS’ total political advertisement spending was P162,592,589.00. The group secured 2,612,048 votes.
Founded in 2011, ACT-CIS Party-List is a community-based organization designed help solve and suppress crimes and mobilize during disaster and emergency situations.
The third highest political party-list spender, Ako Bicol, spent a total of P116,670,259.00 for political advertisements, mainly on television. The party placed 103 television spots, 21,540 seconds of radio plugs and 3 print ads. The party-list gathered 1,046,644 votes.
Founded in 2006, Ako Bicol is a movement composed of individuals who are either resident, born and or have resided in the Bicol Region for the promotion of the welfare and interests of the region.
Party-list groups must get at least 2% of the total number of votes cast in the party-list race to be entitled to at least one seat in the House of Representatives. Additional seats may be obtained through a formula dependent on the number of votes garnered.
Those who fail to reach the 2% threshold may still get a seat given that the law provides that 20% of the members of the House of Representatives should come from party-list groups.
