Figures obtained from various media outlets by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reportedly showed Villar spending Php550 million for TV and print ads from November last year to January this year. That's Php50 million more than the allowed limit for each presidential candidate spending his own money for his campaign.

Four others--Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Benigno Aquino III, Richard Gordon and Eddie Villanueva--would also have exceeded the broadcast limit for TV, which is only 120 minutes for TV ads per station.

The figures were detailed by PCIJ executive director Malou Mangahas during the launch of the Pera't Pulitika 2010 advocacy campaign on Feb. 18 in Quezon City.

PCIJ is one of four civil society groups that make up the Pera't Pulitika consortium, which advocates reform in campaign spending in the Philippines. The group, formed in 2007, also includes lawyers' group Libertas, the Consortium on Electoral Reform (CER) and Association of Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines Inc (ASPAP).

Mangahas said that according to election and policy experts, a presidential candidate needs to fork out between Php2 billion to Php8 billion to run a decent campaign and win.

Given that the country's top official earns only Php60,000 a month or Php4.68 million in six years before tax, it's a wonder many are still scrambling for the post.

A PCIJ report titled "War on the air waves: 6 top bets spend Php1-billion on political ads" says Villar's ad expenses totaled more than the combined spending of his five nearest rivals.

His TV ads from November to January reportedly logged a total airtime of 1,454.5 minutes. At an estimated cost of Php250,000 per 30-second primetime ad spot, his total spending is said to have a total value of more than Php1-billion. After discount, it still stands close to Php500,000. And that was for TV ad alone.

The amount is said to be 2.5 times greater than that of the next big spender, Teodoro, who posted a comparative figure of Php407 million. Third placer Aquino had a three-month ad value of Php269 million; Gordon, Php245-million; and Villanueva, Php 90 million..

The only candidate who would not have exceeded the spending cap is Joseph Estrada whose total ad value was still a hefty Php84 million.

The same report says that politicians are able to place as much political advertisements as they want before the campaign period because the amended Election Modernization Act says one is a candidate only "at the start of the campaign period..."

This was reinforced by a Supreme Court decision last November which states that "The effective date when partisan political acts become unlawful as to a candidate is when the campaign period starts." Before then, such acts are said to be lawful.

According to Libertas' Luis Garcia, the spending limit for a presidential candidate spending his own money is Php10 per