Sara Duterte on surveys: Take them with a ‘grain of salt’

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio addresses the crowd during the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) campaign caravan in Santiago City, Isabela on February 19, 2019.  PHOTO by Villamor Visaya Jr./Inquirer Northern Luzon

LIPA CITY — The President’s daughter and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) campaign manager Sara Duterte-Carpio distanced herself from the supposed Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on senatorial candidate Bong Go, which the pollster later disowned.

The supposed SWS survey showed Go, a former Special Assistant to President Rodrigo Duterte, “surging” to the top three of the senatorial race with 47 percent approval of respondents surveyed between Feb. 25-28.

Go’s camp had released the supposed survey results to several media outfits, which quoted but later took down their reports after the SWS said the survey was not theirs.

In an interview after the HnP’s campaign rally here Sunday, Duterte-Carpio said she only heard about the issue from news reports.

She said she had yet to talk on the matter with Go, who was with her and the slate for the three-day campaign sortie in Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon.

“Nobody could [determine] if that was authentic SWS or not. Maybe people should [take surveys with a] grain of salt. Maybe true, maybe not,” Duterte-Carpio said.

‘False reportage’

Duterte-Carpio also said she herself had not read Go’s press release.

In the supposed press release, Go was quoted “thanking” his supports for trusting his capability and intention to hold public office.

The SWS on Mar. 7 posted on its website a “public reminder” against “false reportage” specially during the election period.

“Everyone is enjoined to rely only on the SWS website (www.sws.org.ph) for its advisories, announcements, and survey reports released to the public,” the pollster added.

“Let’s (just) wait for the official releases of SWS and Pulse Asia,” Duterte-Carpio said. /je