Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) — Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson said there is no truth to a report that he spent the most on traditional media advertisements in 2021.
“I asked my campaign team, volunteers and supporters about this. They insisted that they never saw, much less had this much money. No way we could have spent what we didn’t have. I asked them to check again—same answer,” Lacson tweeted on Sunday.
Lacson was commenting to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) that cited a study by Nielsn saying he spent ₱915.3 million last year on television, radio, print and outdoor billboard advertisements.
The PCIJ said after Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (₱735.44 million) and Vice President Leni Robredo (₱500.47 million) spent the most followed by Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (₱330 million).
Moreno, Robredo and Marcos have not yet issued statements on the PCIJ report.
The report comes just days away from the start of the campaign period on Feb. 8.
The Commission on Elections, meanwhile, said candidates cannot be held accountable for premature campaigning.
