"What is this about a survey purportedly done in Valenzuela City?"
"What is this about a survey purportedly done in Valenzuela City?"
Checking on the development of the ongoing campaign for local elections in Metro Manila, I chanced by a post in a Facebook page, Youth for Eric Martinez, claiming the incumbent congressman of the second district of Valenzuela City is already a sure winner in the May 13 polls.
According to the post, a survey conducted by the Philippine Survey and Research Center from February to March showed Martinez leading over former Congressman Magi Gunigundo to the tune of 86 percent versus the latter’s 12 percent.
And since no further information was given, I decided to give PSRC a call. I was so dismayed that for the whole day last Friday, I was given the run-around. Either the handler has not yet checked in, has left the office for some errands, in a meeting, or whatever reason available so I could not talked to him or her.
This much was clear: They did not deny conducting a survey in Valenzuela City.
In my last call to PSRC, I was able to talk to a certain Nathalie, who, as usual, told me the handler for political survey was not available. So I had to ask her if categorically if they did conduct a survey in Valenzuela. If so, who commissioned the survey and to whom did they release the results?
And again, I was told she was not in a position to answer my query. But then, I had my deadline to meet. I had to write my piece and I cannot wait for their side of the story.
With no denial on their side, I am then to assume that PSRC, which has been in existence for about five decades now, did really conduct a survey on Valenzuela. And in the more-or-less five decades of its existence, I have known PSRC to be involved in surveys and research for consumer products. This is the first time I have heard of that particular firm involving itself in political surveys.
And in case PSRC is not aware of it, political surveys are much different from consumer products. There is more to it than making phone calls and asking people at the other end of the line what product they are using.
First, political surveys have to be compliant with the Section 5.2 of Republic Act 9006 otherwise, known as the Fair Election Act of 2001. This requires any person, natural or juridical, candidate or organization who publishes a survey must likewise publish the following information: a) name of the person, candidate, party or organization who commissioned or paid for the survey; b) the period during which survey was conducted, methodology used, including number of individual respondents and the areas from which they were selected and the specific questions asked; c) margin of error of the survey; d) the margin of error for each question; e) mailing address and telephone number at which the sponsor can be contacted to obtain a written report regarding the survey in accordance with Subsection 5.3 which allows the Commission on Elections to inspect, copy and verify it or by a registered political party or a bona fide candidate, or any Comelec-accredited citizens arm.
And in case PSRC is not aware of it, violation of the said provisions is an election offense punishable under first and second paragraph of Sec 264 of the Omnibus Election Code (BP 881).
Now, going back to the post in the Youth for Eric Martinez Facebook page, there was no mention of the required information including that of the date the survey was conducted.
And if PSRC was really behind the supposed survey, they have a lot to clarify. First, if the survey was non-commissioned, why was it only one party was notified of the result? Why was the result not published? Was it only in Valenzuela they conducted such survey? To date, we haven’t heard of any political survey conducted by PSRC in other areas in Metro Manila.
Again, if the survey was non-commissioned, how did they conduct it? Who were the respondents? How did they identify the respondents? How did they ask the respondents – the method? What exactly was the question asked of the respondents?
Was the survey intended for awareness only or another self-serving endeavor to help condition the minds of the voters?
PSRC just cannot afford to lose the prestige and credibility it had built in its five years of existence with this unfounded survey (assuming the did conduct that particular survey).
People behind the firm are respected in their field—Raul Esteban, Cristina Reyes, Judy Mercado, Arman Mercado, Emil Avenido, Celeste Mantilla, Zaidee Cucio and Terry Gutierrez. They have to clarify the issue; otherwise, they can be liable for violation of the Fair Election Act of 2001.
Conducting political surveys is not that simple. It’s not as simple as praying for a miracle for the name of the election frontrunner just to pop up in a piece of paper, or an eenie-meenie miny moe whoever my finger points to is the winner.
The issues mentioned above should be properly addressed. If it were that simple, I could have conducted my own survey to validate the results of the surveys conducted by different polling firms.
PSRC has to come out clean on this one. If not, Eric Martinez and his supporters may have a lot of explaining to do.”‹