By Al S. Mendoza 

 

THE clubhouse talk has been about the surveys all this time.

That’s because of Bongbong Marcos’ almost unbelievable streak of leading the surveys each time it’s done.

In the eye of the survey storm are Pulse Asia (PA) and Social Weather Stations (SWS), arguably two of the most credible survey outfits due to their long track records.

PA’s last three surveys for the presidential and vice presidential race this year bear watching.  Same with SWS’ one survey thus far in 2022.

PA’s surveys were made on Jan 19-24 (results made public on Feb. 13), Feb. 18-23 (results released on March 14), and March 17-21 (results announced only on April 6).

SWS’ survey was on Jan. 28-31 (results released on Feb 16.)

Know what?

In all four surveys, Marcos was incredibly way ahead of Vice President Leni Robredo in the presidential derby, with margins ranging from 31 percent to 45 percent.

But notice that the survey results were only publicly announced almost three weeks after each activity.

Said Inquirer’s Joel Reyes Butuyan: “Because of the two to three weeks delay in the release of the survey results, both survey firms were widely criticized.”

He has a point.  Why the delay in spreading the news?  Is there a hidden agenda?

Joel may have the answer:  “Within those weeks of delay, so many events happened that made people feel the survey results were ‘panis na’ (already stale) at the time of their release.”

Again, his view holds water.  When an item of vital importance is withheld longer than usual, its veracity becomes suspect.

As Joel correctly observed: “Questions were also raised on the timing of the release, because they were circulated just after a succession of huge rallies for Robredo.  This has made a lot of people suspect that the releases of the results were weaponized to dampen a surge favoring Robredo and prevent a bandwagon from developing in her favor.”

Look. In the PA survey released on April 6, Robredo showed a 9-percent surge.

Said Joel: “But that 9-percent surge was obtained by her more than a half month ago.  What’s the real figure on a date that’s closer to the present?”

The impact of Robredo’s surge in the survey was cushioned by its late announcement?

Old survey results being passed off fresh as a daisy is like seeing a swindler at work.

That’s why I keep saying here that I have always been allergic to surveys.

First, they are but mere mindbenders, thought-influencers that target mainly the shallow thinkers.

Second, why are the identities of the financers that commission surveys usually hidden from the public eye?

And third, surveys are but business activities, where the cunning can conspire to manipulate the outcomes through the power of money.

Isn’t it about time that a law is passed to patrol, if not regulate, the scope of survey operations in our country?

Better yet, why not ban pre-election surveys altogether, like they do in Singapore and Italy, during the polling season?

As Ted Failon loves to say it, “Think about it.”

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