Bakit Mahalaga Ito / Why This Law Exists
Imagine it's election season. Your favorite TV channel is running ads back to back — but only for candidates who can afford primetime rates. The rich candidates flood the airwaves. The less-funded ones get drowned out. Is that a fair election?
Republic Act No. 11207, signed into law on February 14, 2019, says: no, that's not okay. It forces media outlets to give candidates mandatory discounts on political ads — so money doesn't completely control who gets heard.
ELI5 Summary: When candidates buy airtime or ad space during an election, media companies cannot charge them full price. By law, TV stations must give a 50% discount, radio stations a 40% discount, and newspapers a 10% discount — based on the average rates from the past three years. No candidate can be charged more than what a regular commercial advertiser pays. This law amended Section 11 of the Fair Election Act (RA 9006) to enforce these rates.
Real Filipino Scenario: The BPO Voter Who Wondered Why Some Candidates Dominated TV
Clarisse is a 29-year-old BPO team leader from Caloocan. During the last election season, she noticed that a few local candidates were flooding primetime slots while others she'd heard of barely appeared on TV at all. Her coworker told her, "Yun lang ang mga may pera — bayad nang malaki sa TV."
Clarisse started digging. She wanted to know: can a TV station just refuse to give fair rates and favor whoever pays more?
Under RA 11207, the answer is no. TV stations are required by law to offer all bona fide candidates a 50% discount from their average published rates over the past three years. If a station gives a bigger discount to one candidate, it must give the same discount to all candidates running for the same position.
What Clarisse can do: If she believes a media outlet is violating these rules, she can report it to the COMELEC. As a voter, she also has the right to raise the issue with media watchdog groups like the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).
What the Law Actually Says
Under Section 1 of Republic Act No. 11207 (which amends Section 11 of RA 9006, the Fair Election Act), the mandatory political ad discounts are:
- Television: 50% off
- Radio: 40% off
- Print: 10% off
These discounts are calculated from the average of published rates charged in the last three calendar years before the election. So a media outlet can't just inflate its current rates to make the mandated discount meaningless.
The law also has two important guardrails:
First, a media outlet can give a higher discount — but if it does, it must give the same higher discount to all candidates running for the same position. No playing favorites.
Second, candidates can never be charged more than regular commercial (non-political) advertisers. A station cannot treat political ads as premium inventory and jack up the price.
The COMELEC was given 30 days from the law's effectivity to issue implementing rules and regulations.
What This Means for You
Ito ang plain-language version ng batas:
Media outlets cannot price candidates out of the airwaves. Whether you're a national senator or a local councilor, the station has to give you a legally mandated discount. This matters because access to media directly affects who voters see and hear.
The playing field isn't perfectly level — a rich candidate can still buy more airtime than a poorer one. But at minimum, they're all buying at the same discounted rate. A senatorial candidate can't secretly negotiate a sweetheart deal that a rival doesn't get.
As a voter, this affects you because a candidate's visibility should reflect their message and support — not just their campaign budget. The law is designed to prevent media monopolization by wealthy campaigns.
For local candidates in smaller cities and towns, this law is especially important. Local radio and community press are often the only way to reach voters, and the mandatory discounts make it more financially possible to run a campaign without being a millionaire.
Real Filipino Scenario: The Grab Driver Who Wanted to Run for SK
Santi is a 26-year-old Grab driver from Tagbilaran, Bohol. He's passionate about youth issues in his barangay and decided to run for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairperson. He wanted to buy a few radio spots on a local station to get his name out there.
When he called the station, they quoted him the same rate they charge a local hardware store for commercial ads. He wasn't sure if that was legal — shouldn't candidates get a discount?
Here's the edge case most Filipinos miss: the law applies to registered political parties and bona fide candidates. Santi needs to confirm his official candidacy registration with the COMELEC first. Once he's a registered candidate, the radio station is legally required to give him a 40% discount from their average rates of the last three years.
What Santi should do:
- Complete his COC (Certificate of Candidacy) filing with the COMELEC or local election officer.
- Get documentation of his registered candidacy.
- Return to the station and formally request the mandated 40% discount, citing RA 11207.
- If the station refuses, file a complaint with the COMELEC regional office in Bohol.
What Most Filipinos Get Wrong
"The discount applies automatically — I don't need to ask." Hindi ganoon. You need to be a registered, bona fide candidate before the discount kicks in. An aspirant who hasn't filed a COC or hasn't been officially declared a candidate doesn't qualify. The discount is a right you earn upon official candidacy.
"Media outlets can charge more if the ads are controversial or high-profile." They cannot. The law is explicit: rates for political ads cannot exceed rates charged to commercial, non-political advertisers. A primetime news block that costs a bank ₱500,000 per minute cannot cost a candidate more than that same amount.
"The discount applies during the entire year." No — it applies during the election period, as declared by the COMELEC. Outside of that period, normal commercial rates apply.
"All media are covered equally." The discounts are different by medium: 50% for TV, 40% for radio, 10% for print. Print gets the smallest mandated discount. Digital and online advertising are not explicitly covered in the original amended text.
"If one candidate gets a bigger discount, the others don't automatically get it too." Actually, they do. If a station voluntarily gives a candidate a bigger discount than the minimum, it must give the same discount to all candidates for that same position. You can't give a senatorial candidate a 70% discount while giving another only 50%.
For OFWs / Para sa OFW
Vince is a 32-year-old hotel staff member based in Dubai. He's been working in the UAE for four years and has been registered as an overseas voter since 2020. He wants to know: does this law affect him?
The direct answer: Yes — indirectly but meaningfully.
RA 11207 governs how much candidates pay for ads inside the Philippines. But those same ads shape what Vince's family back home sees, hears, and believes before they vote. The law's goal of leveling the media playing field matters to OFWs because it protects the integrity of elections they're also participating in.
For OFWs who are registered overseas voters:
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) overseas voting division and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) have periodically run information campaigns abroad. Your Philippine Embassy or Consulate can provide voter education materials, including how to evaluate candidates fairly.
If you're an OFW candidate yourself — running for office while based abroad is generally not permitted under Philippine law, as holding public office requires residency requirements. But if you've returned to the Philippines and are running for office, the same ad rate discounts apply to you.
What OFWs can do:
- Stay informed through COMELEC's official overseas voter resources at comelec.gov.ph.
- Contact the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO/MWO) or your nearest Embassy for voter education programs.
- Remind your families back home that candidates are entitled to equal, discounted ad rates — a candidate's limited TV presence doesn't mean they're less viable.
- Report concerns about election integrity abroad to the COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV).
Real Filipino Scenario: The Local Candidate Who Got Overcharged
Vince's uncle, Mang Rodel, ran for barangay captain in Batangas two election cycles ago. A local cable channel told him his 30-second ad would cost ₱8,000 per airing — the same rate they charged a real estate developer's commercial. He paid it without question because he didn't know the law.
Under RA 11207, that cable channel was legally required to give Mang Rodel a 50% discount on their average TV rates for the past three years. If their average published rate was ₱8,000, Mang Rodel should have paid no more than ₱4,000 per airing.
Over 20 airings, that's a ₱80,000 overcharge.
What Mang Rodel — or future candidates like him — should do:
- Before purchasing any airtime, ask the media outlet for their published rate card and their three-year average rates.
- Request the mandated discount in writing, citing RA 11207 and Section 11 of RA 9006.
- If denied, file a complaint with the COMELEC immediately — don't wait until after the election.
- Keep all receipts and correspondence as evidence.
What to Do if Your Rights Are Violated / Ano ang Gagawin
Whether you're a candidate who was overcharged or a citizen who suspects a violation, here's what to do:
Document everything. Get the rate card from the media outlet. Ask for their published rates in writing. Keep all invoices, emails, and receipts.
Confirm the legal rate. Calculate what the correct discounted rate should be based on the average of the media outlet's published rates for the last three years before the election. The discount is 50% for TV, 40% for radio, 10% for print.
Send a formal demand letter. If you were overcharged, write to the media outlet citing RA 11207 and Section 11 of RA 9006. Give them a chance to correct it before escalating.
File a complaint with COMELEC. Go to the COMELEC main office in Intramuros, Manila, or your nearest COMELEC regional office. Bring your documentation. You can also file via comelec.gov.ph.
Contact media watchdog groups. Organizations like the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) monitor election-related media violations and can amplify legitimate complaints.
Consult a lawyer if needed. If you've suffered significant financial harm from overcharging, a lawyer can help you assess whether civil remedies are available alongside your COMELEC complaint. BatasKo cannot give you legal advice, but the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) provides free legal assistance to qualified individuals.
Related Laws
- Fair Election Act — RA 9006 — The original law RA 11207 amends, covering the full range of rules on political advertising and propaganda
- Omnibus Election Code — The broader legal framework governing all aspects of Philippine elections
- Party-List System Act — RA 7941 — Covers how party-list groups, including those that buy political ads, are regulated
- Overseas Absentee Voting Act — RA 10590 — Governs how OFWs participate in Philippine elections
- Voter Education and Participation Act — Related legislation on voter rights and access to election information
Mga Madalas Itanong / FAQ
Q: Registered pa lang ako as candidate pero hindi pa official ang campaign period. May discount na ba ako?
A: The discounts under RA 11207 apply "during the election period" as declared by the COMELEC — not automatically from the day you file your COC. The election period typically begins 90 days before election day for national candidates. Check the specific COMELEC resolution for each election cycle to know the exact dates.
Q: What if the TV station says they don't have published rates for the last three years?
A: This is a common workaround. The COMELEC's implementing rules require media outlets to disclose their rates. If a station cannot produce documentation of their historical rates, report this to COMELEC as a potential violation. The burden is on the media outlet to substantiate the rate they're charging you.
Q: Pwede bang mag-advertise ang kandidato sa social media? Covered ba ng law na ito?
A: RA 11207 specifically covers television, radio, and print media. Social media and digital platforms are not explicitly covered by the amended Section 11 of RA 9006. However, COMELEC has issued separate resolutions addressing digital campaign spending and disclosure. Check the latest COMELEC resolutions for your specific election cycle.
Q: Ano ang mangyayari sa media outlet kung lalabag sila sa batas na ito?
A: Violations can be reported to COMELEC, which has the authority to investigate and sanction media outlets. Penalties can include fines and, in serious cases, referral to appropriate authorities. The specific penalties are governed by the Omnibus Election Code and COMELEC implementing rules.
Q: Kasama ba ang mga streamers, tarpaulins, at billboards sa "print" discount?
A: The law refers to "print" in the context of traditional print media — newspapers and magazines. Physical campaign materials like tarpaulins, posters, and billboards are governed by separate COMELEC rules on campaign materials and are subject to size and placement restrictions, not the ad rate discount provisions of RA 11207.
Sources
Republic Act No. 11207 — An Act Providing for Reasonable Rates for Political Advertisements, Amending for the Purpose Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9006, Otherwise Known as the "Fair Election Act" (Approved February 14, 2019). Lawphil Project — Arellano Law Foundation. (archived at)
Republic Act No. 9006 — The Fair Election Act (Approved February 12, 2001). Official Gazette of the Philippines.
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) — Official Website. https://www.comelec.gov.ph
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) — Official Website. https://www.dmw.gov.ph
COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) — Overseas Voter Resources. https://www.comelec.gov.ph