MANILA, Philippines - On Monday (February 8), Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Senator Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III, spent his 50th birthday in Payatas, Quezon City where he shared a meal with the poor.
 
It may seem like Aquino's campaign is going smoothly, but disunity among Aquino's supporters is reportedly causing a crack in his campaign.
  
An Aquino consultant admits the supporters of Aquino, the loyalists of his running mate Sen. Manuel 'Mar' Roxas, the non-traditional groups such as volunteer organizations, and Liberal Party leaders, are coming up with their own strategies. Some feel they are being left out.

There were reports that Aquino has not been able to organize his campaign well, but he's now addressing these kinks.
 
A consultant in the LP says professionals within the group are coming up with solutions to the gaps in the campaign strategy.

Aquino supporter and Philippine Star columnist William Esposo says Aquino is also solving the misundertandings in his party.

"Pagka nagkakaroon ng point of conflict na kailangan siya [Noynoy] makialam, nakikialam e, at immediately, may nararamdaman. Sa advertising, lumalakas na rin. So, nakita mo, naaaddress na, at sa tingin ko, mas tama na yung focus ngayon," Esposo says.

Cory veteran heads media group

Since January, Maria Montelibano began to head the communications and creative division of Aquino's campaign. She was the chief of the Radio-TV Malacañang (RTVM) when the late Cory Aquino was president.

Former Sen. Agapito 'Butz' Aquino, Aquino-Roxas campaign manager, says there's no split in their camp. He says they just had differences over Aquino's political ads.

He says one group thought there was no need for Aquino to have political ads since these were not consistent with his anti-trapo (traditional politician) image.

And since there was still no clear policy direction on this issue, Noynoy's sister, Kris, pushed ahead with various ads with the help of her friend, Boy Abunda.

Due to lack of funds, Aquino's ad placements were limited and could not match the ads of his chief opponent, Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party.

An AGB Nielsen study shows Villar is 14th on the list of top 20 advertisers. From October to December last year, Villar shelled out over half a billion pesos for ads, 5 times more than he spent in 2008.

Based on a study of an advertising insider, from January 1-9, 2010, Villar's TV commercials added up to 296 minutes. Esposo says that's more than twice the 120 minutes alloted for each candidate for each TV station during the official 90-day campaign period.

Aquino's campaign message was also a bit confusing, in stark contrast to the sharp focus demonstrated in Villar's campaign.

'Cory-Ninoy bubble has burst'

Political ads are needed to capture market votes, which are different from command votes or votes controlled by local political leaders.

Pedro Laylo, President Arroyo's former private pollster and now media pollster, observes that Villar's campaign is better researched and more organized than Aquino's.

"From the bubble of Cory-Ninoy, e ano pa? Di ba yun ang tanong nila kay Noynoy? So medyo yun [bubble] ang nababasag. So kailangan, may gawin siguro si Noynoy na ganyan na...how he can really put across na he is also party for them [voters]," Laylo says.

In contrast, Laylo says the Villar camp has a complete story that is being marketed well.

He says the main question on top of the minds of voters is still how they can be lifted out of poverty, and adds that Villar is addressing this issue well in his campaign.

"It's a game of persuasion. Talagang nobody is secure. You really have to fight every inch, tooth and nail," Laylo says.

He believes it's the candidate with the better message that addresses voters' concerns who will have an edge in the May 10 presidential elections. -- from Ces Oreña Drilon's reports aired over Bandila and ANC, February 8-9, 2010