Exit polls are allowed but ‘it may be not that accurate’ — Comelec

FILE PHOTO: Comelec Commissioner George Garcia. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Exit polls are allowed in the law, but it may not be that accurate in predicting the results, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner George Garcia said on Tuesday.

“Under the Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act, exit polls in the same manner as the surveys are allowed,” Garcia, a veteran election lawyer, said over CNN Philippines when asked if such activities are legal.

“But this is just a caution to our Filipinos that exit polls are just polls, this is not the vote themselves on the election day, the real vote is on May 9,” he added.

A number of unauthorized exit polls conducted  in the first day of overseas voting circulated in social media sites has shown that the tandem of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio is leading by a wide margin.

The commissioner, however, cautioned voters in believing unauthorized exit polls, saying the methods used by the pollsters are unknown.

“We have to be very careful in just believing in exit polls. We do not know what are the methods used by these kinds of pollsters,” Garcia pointed out, saying the respondents may not disclose their true votes to the exit polls.

The commissioner also said: “So it may not be that accurate, that’s why we should stick to whoever we wanted to vote, we should not believe in bali-balita, mga marites na ganyan, what we should believe is really is what is on our mind, vote based on your conscience in the election day.”

Garcia, meanwhile, said the Comelec’s task force on fake news will likewise investigate the circulating unauthorized exit polls for possible violation.

“On our part, that’s why our task force kontra fake news would likewise investigate on these matters because we honestly believe that anything that will destroy the credibility of the entire process or the election results will have to be prevented and we will go after individuals na nagpapakalat ng fake news,” Garcia said.

RELATED STORIES:

Don’t believe exit polls, Comelec commissioner says 

(Over)interpreting opinion polls 

JPV