By Junex Doronio
MANILA — The so-called ‘Young Guns’ of the House of Representatives have strongly assailed the recent Pulse Asia survey on Charter amendments, citing concerns about the use of biased and leading questions that may have influenced the results.
On Sunday (31 March 2024), House Assistant Majority Leaders Jil Bongalon of Ako Bicol Party-list, Paolo Ortega V of La Union, and Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur noted that the survey questions appeared to conflate various aspects of constitutional reform, potentially leading to confusion among respondents.
“The wording of the questions used by Pulse Asia seemed designed to lead respondents towards a particular viewpoint on Charter amendments,” Bongalon quipped.
As a lawyer, Bongalon specifically criticized Pulse Asia for including in the survey what it termed as proposed amendments, which do not align with those currently under discussion in Congress.
For his part, Ortega said the survey also contained a biased question regarding “allowing foreign individuals and companies to exploit Philippine natural resources.”
“The survey questions, particularly those addressing contentious issues such as term extension, foreign exploitation of natural resources, and a shift from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government, may have inadvertently skewed responses and fostered opposition to Cha-cha,” Ortega said.
Adiong also pointed out the importance of accurately reflecting the content of proposed amendments in survey questions.
“The wording of survey questions should accurately reflect the actual provisions being proposed for amendment,” Adiong said.
(el Amigo/MNM)
