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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Sotto says election surveys should be regulated

Sotto says election surveys should be regulated

Published Apr 7, 2022 04:02 pm

CEBU CITY—Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said there should be a law that would regulate the conduct of pre-election surveys.

Sotto said surveys do not show the real sentiments of the voters and may be even used to condition the minds of the public.

“Surveys are just snapshots of certain days. It depends where those were taken,” Sotto said in a press briefing on the second day of his and Senator Panfilo Lacson’s Cebu sortie on Thursday, April 7.

Sotto said there have been complaints that surveys are being used for mind-conditioning “and there is really mind-conditioning.”

Sotto’s comment came on the heels of the release of Pulse Asia’s March 17-22 result survey showing him placing second to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in the vice presidential race.

Lacson, Sotto’s running mate, was mired at the bottom part with just a two percent share, a ranking that Sotto described as “impossible.”

“The PMAers (Philippine Military Academy) are working hard day and night. After months of activities and the warm welcome that we are receiving, he is still at two percent? That’s impossible,” said Sotto said.

Describing it as “very dangerous,” Sotto said there should be a legislation that would regulate the conduct of surveys.

“We should be very careful,” he said. “There should be a law that it should not be broadcast. It should just be internal and keep in private (by polling firms).”

After the May 9 elections, Sotto said he would suggest to the Senate to come up with a law that would address issues surrounding election surveys.

Sotto said he would especially convince Senators who ended up winning despite their poor rankings in pre-election surveys to take the cudgels in coming up with a law related to the conduct of surveys.

“We should have thought about it long before,” said Sotto.

Sotto emphasized that he and Lacson remain optimistic of their respective bids despite the survey results favoring their opponents.

“We are not discouraged, we will see through this,” Sotto said.

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