Namfrel backs Comelec’s policy on pre-election surveys
The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) is supportive of the new Commission on Elections (Comelec) policy requiring pollsters conducting pre-election surveys to register, saying this would prevent misinformation among Filipino voters.
“I believe that Filipinos are critical in choosing our leaders. But there are really groups, which are claiming to be legitimate survey firms, that are part of a network in spreading misinformation and disinformation,” said Eric Jude Alvia, secretary general of the poll watchdog Namfrel, in an interview with dzBB on Sunday.
“These days, especially when elections come closer, various groups are everywhere and publishing their supposedly pre-election surveys. However, their goal is not to publish the truth but to manipulate the perception of voters,” he added.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 1117, only pre-registered entities are authorized to conduct and publicly disseminate election surveys.
The rule shall be applied prospectively.
This means that survey firms that have already been conducting and disseminating surveys have a grace period of 15 days from the effective date of the resolution to register with Comelec.
The new resolution also requires polling companies or any entity conducting election surveys to submit a comprehensive report by email to Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) and Education and Information Department (EID) within five days of the publication of a survey.
When applicable, candidates must disclose the total amount they spend on these surveys. According to the commission, they may use this information to verify the candidates’ expenses in the Statement of Contributions and Expenses (Soce) that they are required to submit to the poll body before June 11.
Survey firms and media organizations that fail to comply with disclosure or reporting requirements will face strict penalties, which may include fines, suspension of accreditation, or legal action in case of deliberate misrepresentation of survey data.
Task force ‘respect’
In a memorandum dated Feb. 21, the Comelec established a new task force called Task Force “Respect” (Regulation and Enforcement of Survey Practices for Election Credibility and Transparency). It shall “receive complaints, issue show cause orders, investigate and initiate prosecution of violations in relation to improper or inappropriate publication of election-related surveys.”
According to Alvia, Comelec’s resolution allows the public to scrutinize whether the surveys have been conducted objectively and accurately.
He said that the results of surveys, especially those commissioned by a candidate or an interested party, could be manipulated through their methodology or the way the data is collected, for example, by way they framed their questions or the sampling they conducted.
“Because these are (pieces of) information that are not easily accessible and understandable by the public. The results of these skewed surveys are often used on social media or even fake news outlets to manipulate the perception of voters,” Alvia explained.
In a statement on Friday, Pulse Asia, a major pollster founded in 1999, said the new Comelec resolution “came as a surprise,” saying it is currently reviewing its provisions.
“We have, on occasions, defended our right to operate free from undue restrictions that threaten the fundamental freedoms of expression and access to information,” Pulse Asia Research Inc. president Ronald Holmes said.
“As we adhere to the rule of law, we are currently reviewing the resolution considering our longstanding mission and our unwavering commitment to safeguarding and promoting our core liberties,” he added.
By consistently publishing the results of its surveys, Pulse Asia said it wants to “encourage meaningful discussions and informed actions based on public opinion.” The firm stated that it adheres to scientific research principles and meets the legal requirements for non-profit, non-stock, and non-partisan entities.
