Forty-seven percent of Filipinos are "disagreeing" that one should not vote for candidates who are members of political dynasties, Pulse Asia said on Friday, Aug. 6.
The nationwide survey, which was conducted from June 7 to 16, 2021 asked 2,400 respondents if they agree or disagree with the statement: "One should not vote for candidates who have children, spouses, siblings, or parents who are current or former elected government officials."
Pulse Asia president Dr. Ronald Holmes said the survey showed that the level of disagreement is now higher than the level of agreement on the statement.
He also noted that the majority of those disagreeing with the statement are from Mindanao (61 percent).
"That will indicate that they are in favor, they might be open to, and they might vote for someone who belongs to a political clan," Holmes said during the PILIpiLUNAS2022 online forum organized by the University of the Philippines Diliman.
"Hindi ko masabi kung ano yung pinagbabatayan ng mga mamamayan pero ang isang malinaw dito, nag-shift na naman . Dati-rati mas malaki ang level ng agreement. Hati ang mga Pilipino, one-third nag-a-agree, one-fourth nagdi-disagree. Pero ngayon halos kalahati and nagdi-disagree. (I can't exactly say the basis of the Filipinos but one thing is clear here, their opinion has shifted again. Previously the level of agreement was higher. Filipinos are divided, one-third agree, one-fourth disagree. But now almost half of Filipinos disagree," he explained.
Twenty-eight percent of Filipinos disagreed with the statement in December 2018, when the survey question was last asked by Pulse Asia.
Holmes said the June 2021 percentage is almost the same as the percentage before the 2013 elections (40 percent, March 2013).
"Ito'y halos kapareho nung aming nakukuha noong bago mag eleksyon noong 2013. Diyan nagsi-seesaw 'tong political dynasties. (It's almost the same as what we got before the elections in 2013. We are seeing that opinions tend to seesaw back and forth when it comes to the issue on political dynasties)," he pointed out.