FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 2831 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is said that medium matters in conveying one's message to the public. 
Depending on the target audience, some people subscribe to the effectiveness of print media 
while others prefer the audio-visual impact afforded by television ads when it comes to political 
advertisement. Others resort to radio because of its mass-appeal and cost effectiveness in 
communicating their messages to the electorate. These philosophies and preferences are most 
critical and important during the electoral campaign period. 
To level the playing field, campaign finance regulations are in place to put a cap on the 
maximum amount that a candidate or a political party can spend during an election campaign. 
At this time, the cap is PIO.OO per voter for candidates for President and Vice-President; P3.00 
per voter for other candidates; P5.00 per voter for candidates without a political party and 
without support of any political party and P5.00 per voter for political parties and party-list 
groups I. 
Under Republic Act No. 9006 otherwise known as the Fair Election Act, stringent limits have 
been imposed on the size of print advertisement and the length of television and radio ads a 
candidate or a political party can place during an electoral campaign. 
It is submitted that these stringent limits, aside from being arbitrary, are actually superfluous and 
unnecessary because of the fact that there is already an existing cap imposed on the maximum 
amount a candidate or political party may spend for his campaign. It is submitted that candidates 
and political parties should be given unhampered discretion to decide how best (0 spend their 
campaign funds with as little interference from third parties as possible. As long as they remain 
within the cap prescribed by law, it shouldn't matter how a candidate and/or political party spend 
their money. After all, it is their campaign and it is their money and they should be allowed to 
spend it in the best manner they believe they can. 
This measure seeks to relax and liberalize the limits imposed by the Fair Election Act on access 
to print space as well as to television and radio time during an election campaign. This would 
afford political parties and candidates more latitude to decide for themselves the medium of 
campaign that they believe will most effective communicate their message to the electorate. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
~1y{-
ANTONIO "SONNY" F. TRILLANES 
Senator 
I See' SectIOn 7, COMBLEC RESOLUTION NO. 8944 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
,";0 'hie.JUt ~ 5 2011 I 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
'f '",', s: 15' rl.v1 
<t;~'S~' " 
S. No. 28lH 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
RELAXING AND LffiERALIZING THE LIMITS ON ACCESS TO PRINT SPACE AS 
WELL AS TV AND RADIO TIME OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES 
DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN THEREBY AMENDING SECTION 6 OF 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9006, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE FAIR ELECTION ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Republic Act No. 9006, otherwise known as the Fair Election Act, is 
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hereby amended to read as follows: 
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Sec. 6. Equal Access to Medla Time and Space. - All registered parties 
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and bona fide candidates have equal access to media lime and space. The 
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following guidelines may be amplified on by the COMb'LEC: 
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6.1. Print advertisements shall not exceed [one:fourth (114)] TWO 
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FULL pageS [in broadsheet and one-half (112) page in tablOIds thrIce a 
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week] per newspaper, magazine or other publications PER DAY, during the 
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campaign period. 
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6.2. (a) Each bona ,fide candidate or registered political party for a 
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nationally elective office shall be entItled to not more than one hundred 
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twenty (120) minutes of televisIOn advertIsement PER TELEVISION 
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STATION and one hundred eighty (180) minutes of radio advertisement 
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PER RADIO STATION whether by purchase or donation. 
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(b) Each bonafide candidate or registered political partyfor a locally 
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elective office shall be entitled to not more than sixty (60) minutes of 
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television advertisement PER TELEVISION STATION and ninety (90) 
minutes of radio advertisement PER RADIO STATION whether by 
purchase or donation. 
For this purpose, the COMELEC shall require any broadcast station 
or entity to submit to the COMELEC a copy of It~ broadcast logs and 
certificates of performance for the review and verification of the frequency, 
date, time and duratIOn of advertisements broadcast for any candidate or 
polztical party. 
6.3. All mass media entities shall furnish the COMELEC with a copy 
of all contracts for advertising, promoting or opposing any political party or 
the candidacy of any person for public office within five (5) days after Its 
signing. In every case, it shall be signed by the donor, the candidate 
concerned or by the duly authorized representative of the political party. 
6.4. No franchise or permit to operate a radio or televisIOn station 
shall be granted or issued, suspended or cancelled during the electIOn 
period. 
In all instances, the COMELEC shall supervise the use and 
employment of press, radio and televisionfacilities insofar as the placement 
of political advertisements IS concerned to ensure that candidates are given 
equal opportunities under equal circumstances to make known their 
qualifications and their stand on public issues within the limits set forth in 
the Omnibus Election Code and Republzc Act No. 7166 on electIOn spending. 
The COMELEC shall ensure that radio or televiSIOn or cable 
teleVision broadcasting entitles shall not allow the scheduling of any 
program or permit any sponsor to manifestly favor or oppose any candidate 
or political party by unduly or repeatedly re.ferring to or IIlcluding said 
candidate and/or political party in such program respecting, however, III all 
instances the right of said broadcast entities to air accounts of Significant 
news or news worthy events and views on matters of publIc interest. 
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6.5. All members of media, television, radio or print, shall 
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scrupulously report and interpret the news, takzng care not to suppress 
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essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or Improper emphasIs. 
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They shall recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to 
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correct substantive errors promptly. 
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6.6. Any mass media columnist, commentator, announcer, reporter, 
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on-air correspondent or personality who is a candidate for any elective 
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public office or is a campazgn volunteer for or employed or retained in any 
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capacity by any candidate or political party shall be deemed resigned, if so 
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reqUired by their employer, or shall take a leave of absence from his/her 
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work as such dUring the campaign period: PrOVided, That any media 
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practitioner who is an offiCial of a political party or a member of the 
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campaign staff of a candidate or political party shall not use his/her time or 
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space to favor any candidate or pol Wcal party. 
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6.7. No movie, cinematograph or documentary portraying the life or 
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biography of a candidate shall be pUblicly exhibited In a theater, television 
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station or any public forum during the campaign period. 
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6.8. No movie, Cinematograph or documentary portrayed by an acfor 
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or media personality who is himself a candidate shall likewise be publzcly 
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exhibited in a theater or any public forum during the campaign period. 
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SEC. 2. Separability Clause. If any provISIon or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. -
All laws, rules, regulations, orders, circulars, and 
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memoranda inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
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accordingly. 
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SEC. 4. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
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circulation. 
Approved, 
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