Senator Santiago dares Pulse Asia to name who commissioned survey on Corona’s guilt

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Monday dared the polling firm, Pulse Asia, to reveal who commissioned its latest survey, showing that almost half of Filipino people found Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of the impeachment charges filed against him.

“I challenge Pulse Asia – reveal to me, who are the actual and direct owner of Pulse Asia and who actually commissioned the survey and why they were released so near to the promulgation of judgment?” Santiago said in a phone-patch interview with Senate reporters.

Of the 1,200 respondents surveyed from February 26, 2012 to March 9, 2012, 47 percent said Corona was guilty, 43 percent were undecided, and only 5 percent believed he was innocent.

Santiago reiterated that the survey was “contemptuous” not only by Pulse Asia but also by those who assisted its publication in the media.

“It’s an effort to decide the case not according to the law, but according to the survey,” she said.

And the “conduct of media which tend to directly or indirectly impede, obstruct or degrade the administration of justice,” Santiago said, is subject to the contempt power of the court.

“That’s an explicit statement that the media can be held in contempt,” the senator added.

Santiago then advised the polling firms to refrain from conducting surveys that would tend to influence the senators, who sit as judges in the impeachment trial.

“Yes, I strongly advise them in my capacity as senator-judge to be very careful of what they’re doing because not only they’re standing on the brink of contempt, they are actually in contempt. It’s simply a case of introducing evidence,” she said.

But if the polling firms refused to heed her call, Santiago warned that she herself would move to cite them in contempt.

“Right now, I’m just appealing. But if they continue – para bang sabi nila sa akin balwewala naman yung pinagsasabi mo (it’s like they are telling me that what I’ve been saying is useless) you’re n only one of 23 – kung ganun ang attitude nila (if that’s their attitude), I will be compelled dahil sai ilalim ng (because under the) rules of court, the court itself can motu propio. Meaning on its own initiative file a petition for indirect contempt,” Santiago said.

“Huwag nila akong ganyanin (They shouldn’t do this to me). Don’t push the envelope too far because I might react [because for me], this is really sacrilege…” she added.