MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – There were fewer television ads aired during the second presidential debate in Cebu City on Sunday, March 20, compared to the first debate in Cagayan de Oro City.

Rappler counted a total of 107 commercials across 4 breaks, airing for a total of 41 minutes and 37 seconds. This was 26% of the entire 160-minute Cebu debate broadcast on TV5.

Among these commercials, Rappler counted 15 political ads by national candidates, amounting to a total of 6 minutes and 30 seconds.

Compare this to 117 ad placements totalling 48 minutes in 6 commercial breaks tracked by Mindanews during the CDO debate on February 21. This was equal to 35.6% of the 135-minute broadcast of that debate aired on GMA.

Mindanews counted only 12 political ads by national bets during the CDO debate. It did not specify the total airtime of these ads.

The Cebu debate proper started at around 6:30 pm – after a 90-minute delay – and ended at around 9:10 pm.

During the breaks, TV ads of two presidential candidates aired: those of Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay. Poe had one 30-second commercial, while Binay had two.

Other presidential bets Rodrigo Duterte, Manuel Roxas II, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago did not have any. Santiago did not join the debate for medical reasons.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV was the sole vice presidential bet who aired ads – two 30-second commercials.

The rest were ads by 6 senatorial candidates:

• Leila de Lima – three 15-second ads
• Sherwin Gatchalian – two 30-second ads
• Martin Romualdez – two 30-second ads
• Richard Gordon – one 30-second ad
• Francis Tolentino – one 30-second ad
• Francis Pangilinan – one 15-second ad

However, during the 90-minute delay or from 5 pm to 6:30 pm, at least 6 30-second ads played over 3 commercial breaks.

There was one ad by Roxas, then another commercial featuring him, running mate Leni Robredo, and President Benigno Aquino III.

Poe’s 30-second ad also aired before the debate proper, as well as those by senatorial bets Romualdez, Tolentino, and Ralph Recto. – Rappler.com

Editor’s Note: The original version of this report said that there were fewer political ads during the Cebu debate. We have corrected it to say that there were fewer television ads in general, not just political ads, compared to the CDO debate.