Pulse Asia’s cha-cha poll ‘misleading’

Pulse Asia’s cha-cha poll ‘misleading’ | Daily Tribune

Pulse Asia’s latest survey showing that most Filipinos oppose Charter change (cha-cha) is a “smear campaign,” a House leader said Sunday.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, one of the staunch proponents of cha-cha, strongly criticized the inclusion of “irrelevant” questions in the survey, which he suspects was aimed at casting Congress’ efforts in a bad light and misleading the public.

The survey questions included term extensions for national and local elective officials, changing the presidential to a parliamentary system of government, shifting from a bicameral to a unicameral legislature, and allowing foreigners to exploit the country’s natural resources, which Dalipe said were not being considered by Congress.

“Why include questions that people don’t want and are not related to the ongoing process in Congress? Is this black propaganda?” he said.

Asking questions unrelated to the actual aim of cha-cha, according to the House leader, is not only misleading to the public but, more importantly, derails the cha-cha process.

“Surveys should reflect the real concerns of the people and not push a particular agenda,” Dalipe pointed out.

Pulse’s latest survey, conducted earlier this month but released on Holy Week, showed that those opposed to cha-cha increased to 88 percent from 45 percent in March last year.

The 88 percent comprised people who said the 37-year-old Constitution may be amended at some other time (14 percent) and those who objected to the constitutional change now nor at any other time (74 percent).

Opponents of cha-cha were highest in Mindanao (91 percent from 51 percent), followed by those in balance Luzon (89 percent from 39 percent), the Visayas (85 percent from 40 percent), and Metro Manila (81 percent from 59 percent).

Supporters of cha-cha declined drastically from 41 percent in March 2023 to eight percent in the latest survey.

Leading questions

Deputy Speaker David Suarez echoed Dalipe’s view, saying Pulse’s questions seemed “crafted to steer respondents towards a specific viewpoint on Charter amendments.”

“Surveys play a crucial role in gauging public opinion, but they must be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner,” Suarez said.

The questions, particularly those addressing contentious issues such as term extension, foreign exploitation of natural resources, and shifting from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government, may have inadvertently skewed responses and fostered opposition to cha-cha, according to Suarez.

Polls play a crucial role in gauging public opinion, but they must be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner.

“Biased survey questions can distort public perception and hinder meaningful dialogue on constitutional reform,” he added.

Survey firms, Suarez noted, must ensure that questions are clear, specific, and free of bias to obtain accurate results.

Both Dalipe and Suarez are proponents of Resolution of Both Houses 7, which aims to eliminate the restrictions on foreign ownership in public utilities, educational facilities, and the advertising industry, covered under Articles 12, 14, and 16 of the Constitution, respectively, which are said to be hampering the Philippines’ economic potential.

The measure hurdled the third and final reading following a 289-7-2 vote on 20 March, Congress’ last session day before a month-long Holy Week recess.

RBH 7 is similar in most respects to the Senate’s RBH 6, which has three more hearings to go in the upper chamber.