MANILA, Philippines — Audience figures from media monitoring indicate that the June 4 Blue Ribbon Committee hearing led by the bloc of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano attracted substantially greater public attention than the June 8 hearing conducted by the rival Gatchalian bloc.
Based on consolidated media data, coverage of the June 4 hearing generated an estimated 6.1 million views across media platforms, excluding content posted on the official Alan Peter Cayetano Facebook page. When the average performance of the three-part livestream series posted on the ASC page is included, total reach rises to approximately 15.9 million views.
By comparison, the June 8 hearing conducted by the Gatchalian bloc generated an estimated 1.89 million views across six major media organizations—GMA, ABS-CBN, News5, Inquirer, NewsWatch, and One News.
The figures indicate that the June 4 hearing attracted more than three times the audience of the June 8 proceeding based on media coverage alone. When the ASC page audience is included, the June 4 hearing generated more than eight times the total viewership.
In absolute terms, the June 4 hearing reached approximately 14 million more viewers than the June 8 proceeding.
The disparity is even more striking when viewed as a share of total audience engagement. Of the combined measured audience for both hearings, nearly 90 percent watched coverage of the June 4 proceedings, while just over 10 percent viewed coverage of the June 8 hearing.
Observers say the numbers offer a glimpse into where public attention is currently focused.
While much of the political discussion in recent weeks has centered on questions of Senate leadership and committee control, audience behavior appears to tell a different story. Filipinos showed significantly greater interest in the issues tackled during the June 4 hearing, particularly testimony concerning alleged irregularities in flood control projects and the statements made by the so-called “18 Marines.”
The June 4 hearing became one of the most widely viewed Senate proceedings in recent months, generating extensive discussion across both traditional and digital media platforms. In contrast, the June 8 hearing struggled to generate comparable public engagement despite coverage from several major news organizations and livestreaming through official Senate channels.
Official Senate figures showed approximately 6,800 viewers on the Senate Facebook livestream and 13,800 viewers on the Senate YouTube livestream during the June 8 proceedings. Senators aligned with the Gatchalian bloc did not conduct independent livestream coverage.
Supporters of the Cayetano bloc said the audience figures demonstrate that the public remains focused on issues of accountability, public spending, and the search for answers regarding controversial flood control projects.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” one source close to the proceedings said. “Despite efforts to shift the conversation toward leadership disputes and procedural questions, Filipinos chose to pay attention to the issues that directly affect their lives and their communities.”
As competing factions continue to advance their respective positions, the viewership data suggests that the June 4 hearing succeeded in capturing the public’s attention on a scale unmatched by the June 8 proceeding.
For every Filipino who viewed coverage of the June 8 hearing, more than eight viewed coverage of the June 4 hearing when total audience reach is considered—underscoring the continued public interest in the issues raised by the Cayetano-led Blue Ribbon Committee proceedings.