FILE PHOTO: Dindo Manhit, shown here at a 2020 forum, is the founder and president of Stratbase ADR Institute. | PHOTO: Facebook page of Stratbase ADR Institute
MANILA, Philippines — In order to counter disinformation, political groups must fight it with “a better story, a better narrative, [and] a better policy proposal,” a political analyst said.
Dindo Manhit, president of the Stratbase ADR Institute, said that the elections have become centered on voters and that the best way to win it is to understand the voters themselves.
“I think it’s critical to any political groups to look at elections as a contest and the best way to understand and win this contest for votes, for voters is to understand the voters itself,” Manhit said in an interview Monday night with One News’ The Big Story.
“True, there are mechanisms that help spread fake news, disinformation. The only way to counter them is to fight them with a better story, a better narrative, a better policy proposal,” he added.
“You cannot simply force your way of thinking to the Filipino voters. Today, elections are about voters as I’ve always called it a voter-centered campaign,” he further said.
Manhit mentioned the survey that their institute ran in October where a Marcos and Duterte tandem was “perceived more positively” and stronger.
“That should have been countered but instead we’ve seen the opposition focusing on what they thought was their narrative, not really listening to the voters,” he said.
“It’s good to understand the voters and build the campaign around it and that’s I think what Senator Risa [Hontiveros] did on her own,” Manhit added.
Hontiveros is the lone opposition senator elected to the upper chamber in the May 9 elections.
On Monday, Hontiveros was sworn into office by outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo, who passed the opposition leadership to the senator.