Palma: Don’t be dictated by surveys

BE wary of surveys.

With the election season heating up, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma urged the public to be critical when interpreting survey results last Wednesday.

Palma, also concurrent president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said voters should be discerning when reading about survey results because some of these might be skewed to favor certain candidates.

He added that the public should not immediately rule out voting for candidates lagging in the surveys.

“First of all, surveys help but sometimes we also (have to) begin to be critical of surveys because, as others have said, (the result) depends on what questions are asked in surveys,” Palma said in an interview.

“I repeat, I have an ambivalent reaction to surveys. I respect them, (but) on the other hand, I also have a lot of questions about them,” he added.

Palma, who admitted he was no an expert in surveys, said other observers have noted that surveys could be used for “trending” to downplay the electoral chances of some candidates.

“Others say surveys are (used) for trending so that (they can say) do no vote for (candidates) who do not figure prominently in surveys because they are losers,” Palma said.

“So sometimes, that’s also a part of our own formation of attitudes..when they say they (figure prominently) in surveys so they are the winners,” he added.

Palma said it woulf be “too early” in the election campaign to discount certain candidates just because they have not been topping the surveys. Inquirer