IN Manila, fake political surveys have been popping up almost daily, a trend that has sparked reactions from local leaders.
In their separate statements, Asenso Manileño party stalwarts Manila City Administrator Bernie Ang, third district Congressman Joel Chua and second district Rep. Rolan Valeriano, condemnted the fake surveys and labelled them as ‘desperate attempts at deception’ and ‘an insult to the intelligence of Manilans’ the barrage of recent fake surveys which have been flooding the social media.
The party remain strong and unbeatable amid the fake surveys, they said.
Ang specifically cited the recent posts on social media purporting that the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and the Manila City Hall employees have done a survey with Isko Moreno leading the mayoral race by a wide margin.
He called the disparity in the fake surveys “ridiculous” and said no one in their right mind would believe them.
“This is a clear sign of desperation on the part of our political foes and we take this to mean that they have accepted defeat this early,” Ang stressed.
Ang said that the PLM, for one, has vehemently denied the existence of such a survey, while City Hall employes are also asking among themselves where the purported survey among them came from.
The city administrator said the city employees will never get involved in politics since they are prohibited from doing so, adding that the ones posting such surveys that never took place are also putting the employes in a bad light.
“Purported surveys proliferating online involving alleged political preferences of PLM students are NOT sanctioned by the University,” the PLM statement read. The university emphasized its commitment to integrity, academic excellence, and the well-being of its community members.
Valeriano stressed that apart from Vice Mayor Yul Servo, five out of six Congressmen remained by Lacuna’s side, along with the majority of the incumbent city councilors and most especially, the party stalwarts.
“Isa lang naman ang nanggugulo. Ang puso ng nakararami, nasa Asenso Manileño pa rin. We are still the party to beat,” Valeriano underscored.
Chua also expressed confidence in the strength of Asenso Manileño, pointing out that the key figures who helped the party become the ruling force in Manila are still active and leading the charge. “Mas lalo kaming tumitibay. Parte ng isang organisasyon ang mga pagsubok at ako ay naniniwala na ito ay aming malalagpasan,” Chua stated.
Meanwhile, both Chua and Valeriano deplored as ridiculous the fake surveys flooding the social media, projecting Lacuna’s political rival as leading by a very wide margin, when they guested at the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) ‘ Balitaan’ news forum held at the Harbor View Restaurant recently.
Chua said that for him, the real survey will be known on May 12, or the election day itself:”Sa May 12, ‘yan ang magsasabi kung sino talaga ang lamang, kung sino tlaga ang mananalo kaya lahat ng survey na lalabas prior to that eh medyo lagyan lang natin ng doubt sa sarili natin, kasi maski dati, makikita natin na ang survey ginagawa nila for mind conditioning. Madali naman ‘yan, kung gusto mo bukas maglabas din kami ng survey,” he enthused.
He also referenced the recent denial from PLM, which had rejected the social media post claiming a PLM survey showing Moreno ahead in the race. “Nung maglabas ang PLM na wala silang kinonduct na survey, ultimo sila (Moreno) itinatanggi na nila na sa kanila ‘yung post,” Chua added.
According to Valeriano, he believed that Manila voters are intelligent and mature enough to be fooled, citing his personal experience during the last elections where his two opponents posted surveys one after the other, showing him (Valeriano) in the third place but that in the end, he won over the two.
“Simple logic will tell us na kapag ganito pa katagal, two or three months before election, dapat kung totoong lamang ka, dapat tinatago mo para hindi mahabol… alam mo sa sarili mo na niloloko mo pati ikaw di maniniwala sa ginagawa mo. Kahit anong social media ang gawin mo, ‘yung tama hindi magiging mali at ang mali never magiging tama. Lalabas at lalabas yung katotohanan,” he stressed, adding that historically, those who promote fake surveys end up losing.
Valeriano also criticized the use of fake surveys as a tool to manipulate voters. “Lahat ng naglalabas ng fake news at survey, natatalo. It’s a desperate move,” he remarked. He further suggested that those behind such surveys may be attempting to solicit funds or gain favor from wealthy individuals. “Minsan, ‘yung iba, naglalabas ng survey just to solicit funds. Tapos maririnig mo pumunta sa isang tycoon – ‘O, heto survey ko, pag nanalo ‘ko bibigyan kita ng project’ – kaya nga sinasabi ko, ‘yung mga naglalabas ng pekeng survey sigurado ako ‘yung purpose nun eh hindi maganda.'”
In closing, Valeriano quoted Sun Tzu’s Art of War, saying, “Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak,” and urged the public to decide for themselves where the creators of these fake surveys truly belong.
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