MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo topped advert spending on Facebook amongst all candidates, though the favored social media platform have accounted for small percentages of election aspirants’ spending up to now.
Robredo, the opposition wager for president, spent P14.1 million on the platform from August 4, 2020, when the transparency instrument was activated, till December 31, 2021, a assessment of the social media platform’s Ad Library confirmed.
The quantity represented solely 12% of her complete spending on adverts in conventional media from January to September 2021 (P120 million), based mostly on revealed price playing cards. Nielsen knowledge confirmed that candidates have to date nonetheless poured most of their cash on conventional media. (READ: 2022 aspirants run adverts price P3.7 billion on conventional media earlier than submitting candidacies)
The bulk of Robredo’s Facebook adverts went stay after she filed her candidacy in October 2021 following months of hypothesis if she was working for the highest submit.
“We have to maximise our on-line presence. The truth of the matter is we actually have plenty of floor to make up for,” lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, informed the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in a telephone interview.
Gutierrez stated the adverts have been paid for by volunteers who had coordinated with the marketing campaign group to both increase the official posts of the vp or produce authentic supplies to advertise her candidacy.
“The marketing campaign itself has not really spent something on adverts. [They] have been really paid for by volunteer teams,” he stated.
Robredo defeated former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. within the 2016 vice-presidential race, however the December 2021 Pulse Asia presidential survey confirmed that Marcos was forward with 53% in contrast with Robredo’s 20%. Marcos led in all geographic areas and sociodemographics.
While early adverts have been criticized as untimely campaigning, the Robredo marketing campaign felt compelled to hitch the fray. “If everyone seems to be doing it, hindi ka p’wedeng hindi sumabay kahit papaano (you can’t not place commercials your self),” Gutierrez stated, declaring that different candidates had began spending as early as a 12 months earlier than the elections.
“Madaming ibang marketing campaign (Many different marketing campaign groups), notably ang (the) Bongbong Marcos marketing campaign, they’ve actually invested closely in social media,” he stated.
Marcos: Zero adverts, a number of memes
In comparability, Marcos, the survey chief, has not recorded any advert spending on Facebook to date.
But this isn’t shocking as a result of Marcos prefers meme wars over adverts, stated Jonathan Ong, an affiliate professor on the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has studied disinformation networks within the area.
“Political adverts are historically efficient in conveying candidates’ basic proposition and branding – however they’ll find yourself sounding generic and inauthentic. BBM is extra invested within the ‘meme wars’ and campaigning by way of political fan teams, group pages, and micro-influencers,” Ong informed the PCIJ in an e-mail, referring to Marcos’s initials.
Facebook’s Ad Library is a public database of adverts that ran on the social media platform owned by the corporate that now goes by the identify Meta. It gives particulars such because the content material of the adverts, how a lot was spent to spice up the adverts, and who have been focused to see the adverts.
However, the Ad Library doesn’t element how a lot candidates spent to supply the adverts and funds to social media consultants who managed their accounts. It additionally doesn’t cowl funds to “influencers” tapped to endorse candidates on Facebook.
Marcos had lengthy been accused of sustaining propaganda networks to push a revisionist model of Martial Law historical past and canopy up the legacy of his father’s brutal dictatorship.
“My personal digital ethnography of pro-BBM accounts on Twitter in addition to non-public messaging apps reveals that they’ve by no means stopped pushing the ‘Marcos period as golden age’ narrative and on the identical time continued to assault [those] whom they name the ‘pinklawans,’” stated Ong.
“It’s not that BBM will not be spending on political advertising; their marketing campaign is strategically investing in influencer advertising and group mobilization which seem extra natural and genuine,” stated Ong.
Ong stated regulation and monitoring by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ought to focus past political adverts.
Other teams have known as on Facebook to additionally monitor disinformation peddled by influencers through the marketing campaign.
Marcos has denied allegations that his marketing campaign maintains troll farms, attributing his recognition on the social media platform to “actual” supporters. “I shouldn’t have troll (farms). I don’t increase (my social media pages) as a result of netizens are sensible. They would know,” Marcos was quoted saying in October 2021.
Robredo’s spending up sixfold after COC submitting
Robredo’s camp has spent a complete of P14.1 million on Facebook adverts as of December 31, 2021.
The quantity coated adverts launched by Robredo’s official web page and by two different pages pushed prominently by her official pages “Team Leni Robredo” and “Dapat si Leni.”
The bulk of Robredo’s adverts on the social media platform went stay after she filed her candidacy, between October 1 and November 30, 2021. These adverts amounted to P6.24 million, or triple the entire spending of the 2 pages (P1.9 million) as of Sept. 30, 2021. This sum included adverts positioned by the “Team Leni Robredo” web page.
Robredo’s advert spending in December 2021, which included these positioned by each the “Team Leni Robredo” and “Dapat si Leni’” pages, totaled P5.98 million. This, too, was triple the quantity she had spent on the platform earlier than the submitting of certificates of candidacy (COCs) in October.
Prior to the submitting of COCs, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who’s working for reelection, was constantly the highest spender on Facebook. Robredo soared previous Gatchalian by 12 months finish.
PCIJ additionally discovered separate clusters of help pages for Robredo forward of the submitting of COCs. As of September 30, 2021, a minimum of 47 totally different pages owned by Robredo’s supporters had paid for Facebook adverts.
Many of those pages “geo-targeted” followers. The pages included “Batangueño Para kay Leni Robredo,” “Leni, Tingog sang Ilonggo” (now “Ilonggo Para Kay Leni Robredo”), “SOLID LENI BICOL,” and “Akeanon, Kay Leni Eang Maboto.”
Thirty-three out of the 47 pages have been managed by solely two people. Most of those pages disclosed that they have been made “by Team Leni Robredo volunteers… who help and really consider in Leni Robredo’s management.”
“Geo-targeting,” which makes use of location knowledge to focus on an advert’s viewers, is a type of “micro-targeting.” Comelec Resolution No. 10730, prohibits its use for electoral adverts.
While these Robredo help pages remained energetic, many didn’t place adverts on Facebook after the submitting of COCs.
Instead, 64 different help pages boosted adverts for Robredo from October to December 2021 – probably the most variety of help pages for any 2022 wager to date, the PCIJ discovered.
All the “help” pages coated in PCIJ’s tally explicitly endorsed a specific candidate of their names, descriptions, and posts. PCIJ didn’t embrace Facebook pages that didn’t overtly categorical their endorsement of a candidate, even when they have been amplifying a candidate’s on-line marketing campaign supplies and messages.
Lacson hikes spending in August
The different presidential aspirant who recorded appreciable spending on Facebook was Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
The senator has spent a complete of P5.14 million on Facebook adverts as of September 30, 2021, and one other P222,125 over the following three months – placing his complete spending on Facebook at P5.36 million as of December 31, 2021.
Social media accounted for a minimum of 2.6% of Lacson’s complete advert spending earlier than he filed his candidacy. He spent P182.13 million on adverts in conventional media through the interval.
Lacson elevated advert spending on Facebook in August or two months earlier than he filed his COC. He had introduced his presidential bid whereas Robredo, who would get the endorsement of 1Sambayan opposition group, was nonetheless hoping to guide “unity talks” that might select a typical opposition candidate.
Lacson dismissed the talks after his earlier suggestion was rejected. He wished all potential opposition candidates to file their COCs in October however withdraw in favor of the candidate who would lead within the polls earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
In his adverts, Lacson highlighted his crime-fighting report, citing his stint as chief of the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001. Tough speak on crime helped propel Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency in 2016.
While Lacson slowed down on advert spending after he filed his COC, his supporters spent as a lot as P4.42 million on posts endorsing his presidential bid. The bulk of this quantity was spent in November and December 2021, and may very well be traced again to the “Ping Lacson Army” web page.
By 12 months finish, the advert spending of Lacson’s supporters on the platform was equal to 82% of the advert spending on his official web page.
Lacson filed his candidacy beneath the Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma (Partido Reporma), the marketing campaign automobile utilized by ex-defense chief Renato de Villa in his unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1998. It’s Lacson’s second try on the presidency, after he misplaced to Gloria Arroyo in 2004.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, who topped advert spending in conventional media earlier than the submitting of candidacies, recorded zero spending on Facebook till November 2021. By the tip of the 12 months, he had spent a meager P5,031 on the platform.
But Moreno’s supporters spent P2.28 million to advertise him on Facebook. He was certainly one of many different aspirants who positioned few to no adverts in any respect on their official Facebook pages however whose “help” pages churned out a whole lot of paid posts.
PCIJ discovered 36 totally different pages boosting posts selling Moreno’s marketing campaign. These posts have been paid for by solely 16 people and teams, which included a digital advertising company and a Cebu-based group of eating places.
The remainder of the presidential candidates didn’t have as many adverts on the social media platform.
Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao spent lower than P1 million (P347,059).
Labor chief Leody de Guzman spent a small sum, P11,500, on Facebook adverts. Of this quantity, P11,000 price of adverts was posted solely in December 2021.
Gatchalian leads amongst Senate candidates
Gatchalian continued to prime general spending on Facebook amongst 2022 aspirants for senator.
His official Facebook web page spent greater than P7 million in adverts earlier than the submitting of COCs, and one other P1.55 million within the subsequent three months.
Most of those adverts linked again to Gatchalian’s web site and introduced his stand on points regarding training and vitality. Gatchalian chairs the Senate training and vitality committees.
Former senators in search of a comeback additionally paid for adverts on Facebook to make their social media presence felt forward of the COC submitting.
On their official Facebook pages, Antique Rep. Loren Legarda – who was the primary to file her COC earlier than the ballot physique on October 1, 2021 – spent greater than P3.7 million for 558 adverts, whereas former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV spent lower than one million pesos for 27 adverts.
Legarda and Trillanes spent P1.18 million and P185,000, respectively, over the following three months.
But amongst Senate aspirants, detained Senator Leila de Lima spent probably the most within the three months following the COC submitting.
From October to December 2021, de Lima positioned adverts amounting to P1.3 million, or almost double a 12 months’s price of her advert spending, or from August 2020 to September 2021.
Other Senate aspirants additionally had supporters pay for adverts to advertise their campaigns on Facebook.
Pages supporting former House speaker and Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano, who’s gunning for a Senate comeback, coughed up P2.2 million on the platform. More than half of this quantity (P1.51 million) was spent earlier than the submitting of COCs, when he was nonetheless contemplating a presidential bid.
Pages supporting former Public Works and Highways secretary Mark Villar, who’s becoming a member of the Senate race beneath the ticket of ruling occasion PDP-Laban, additionally paid Facebook to spice up their posts.
Villar’s supporters spent P893,842 on hundreds of Facebook adverts, whereas Villar, whose household is among the many nation’s richest, distributed solely P25,530 on his official web page.
Some candidates for native posts additionally shelled out a minimum of one million pesos on Facebook adverts.
Father and son Luis Raymund “LRay” and Miguel Luis “Migz” Villafuerte, who’re gunning for separate congressional seats in Camarines Sur, spent P1.34 million and P1.16 million, respectively, forward of the submitting of COCs.
Both Villafuertes had no recorded spending on the platform from October to December 2021.
Cagayan de Oro City mayoral hopeful Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña positioned P1.14 million price of adverts on the platform: P839,685 of this quantity was spent on the platform as of September 30, 2021, whereas the remaining P300,782 was spent in October 2021.
His official web page had no recorded spending within the months of November and December 2021.
La Viña, who was the social media director of Duterte’s 2016 marketing campaign, shall be becoming a member of the mayoralty race as an alternative candidate. He filed his COC on November 12, 2021.
Other prime spenders within the native political scene have been Leyte Representative Lolita Karen Javier (P1.12 million) and Navotas Representative John Rey Tiangco (P743,427). Javier is in search of reelection, whereas Tiangco desires to interchange his brother Tobias “Toby” as Navotas mayor.
Politicians who ultimately determined to not run within the 2022 elections additionally positioned adverts on Facebook. As of September 30, the highest spenders have been House Deputy Speaker and Batangas Representative Vilma Santos-Recto (P2.18 million), Cabinet Secretary and Palace spokesperson Karlo Nograles (P616,102), and Senator Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos (P430,981).
Up to 48% of Filipino adults get their information on politics from the web, based mostly on a September 2021 survey of Pulse Asia. It’s statistically tied with radio, which 49% of the respondents stated was the supply of their information.
Television remained the highest supply of reports, with 91% of respondents saying they get their information on the standard media platform. – With further interviews by Carmela Fonbuena / Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism | Rappler.com
This piece is republished with permission from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/robredo-leads-marcos-snubs-facebook-advertising-as-of-december-31-2021/
