Malacanang has come out swinging against the October 2007 Pulse Asia survey that found President Arroyo the “most corrupt President” in the history of the Philippines.
PMS Chief Cerge Remonde called it “unfair, unkind, and un-Christian.”
Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said surveys like these were largely irrelevant. “Pinakamahalaga ang walang sawang serbisyo ng Pangulo sa milyun-milyong Pilipino, hindi ang rating niya sa mga survey ng 1,500 tao.”
The insinuation that the small sample size of such surveys rendered them insignificant was echoed in one of Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye’s statements. He said: “We therefore vehemently challenge the survey results which could have been influenced by a number of distorting factors such as the sample (1,200 respondents out of 84 million Filipinos), possibly misleading questions and even the person or persons who commissioned the survey.”
Executive Secretary Ed Ermita later amplified on that last point. Clearly referring to ex-senator Serge Osmena, he said: “It’s a pity that because of politics, certain elements — organizations or individuals – are using the survey as a fodder for their relentless attack on the President.”
Are the President’s men arguing reasonably? Judge for yourself. In Newsstand, I list many links, to Pulse Asia, to previous readings of earlier surveys, to the science of opinion polling. One thing I did not include there, which we can put to good use here, is the Sample Calculator. How big should your sample be, if you want it to be representative of the population you are surveying?
Go ahead. Give it a try.
December 17th, 2007 at 9:42 am
To the Trapos in Congress,
Things have come to pass and corrupt Congressmen especially those who makes a habit of being involved in cover-ups are found wanting. This includes those who are corrupt and sell their votes for political, monetary and personal favors.
Time grows short for you, if not too late for you already. If you do no cease this activity immediately, divine justice will overtake you and bad karma will take its toll. No need to list those concerned, you and your conscience already knows if you are involved.
December 17th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Raul T. Lumacad,
You’re claim from your statement that you are “… not an Arroyo fanatic but this survey is just a piece if s**t from Osmena’s ass.”
If your not an Arroyo fanatic, what are you then? Just a regular Arroyo fan?
You seem to forget that the government too hires the services of survey companies and if I am not mistaken, including Pulse Asia itself. The administration crows about good survey ratings when it favors them yet start issuing denials when they find out it does not favor them. What does that make them then? Pathetic.
****
Abbygail,
You said that “…so, it is not fair for you to include my name as would-be respondents in a survey tog. w/the govt. men and apologists…”
Which category do you feel you belong then abbygail?
December 17th, 2007 at 1:10 am
Pulse, not prejudice
SHE SAYS
Dinah S. Ventura
12/17/2007
The latest Pulse Asia survey tags Gloria Arroyo, 14th president of the republic, as the “most corrupt” thus far.
Nobody is happy with this conclusion — not GMA for sure, not her family and friends, not Malacañang and its political supporters, and neither, may I venture to add, her critics, though their reasons may be far from sympathetic.
Why so, you ask? Because it only means one thing — graft, corruption and poor governance continue to plague us, more than ever or much worse even after 20 years since Ferdinand Marcos, under whose leadership plunder and corruption were reported to have reached all-time highs, was toppled by the first bloodless revolution in the Philippines.
Who can rejoice in something as depressing as that?
GMA may joke about her being a “bad politician” — and frankly, I don’t think many were amused by this remark — but when a credible survey machinery comes out with ever worsening results, it’s not likely that we would jump for joy, no matter what we think about this particular economist, who thinks she’s good at it and who really should take pointers from her predecessor for people skills.
GMA’s unpopularity has something (but not everything) to do with the way people view her leadership skills. Mainly, it makes people more critical of her than forgiving. But that is not all there is to it, so when Malacañang huffs and puffs and scornfully dismisses the Pulse Asia survey, Palace aides are only doing themselves more harm.
Yes, she is unpopular, but that is not exactly why the survey came to the conclusion that she is the most corrupt. Actions still speak louder than words, and frankly, plenty of people find the shenanigans under her term quite abhorrent.
What is corruption, and why was GMA found to be most corrupt by the Pulse Asia survey?
On the closest level, people see corruption in the way their barangay leaders perform — or not perform, for that matter. When people see something rotten in the way these so-called leaders conduct themselves — sudden wealth, but not much change in the community except for the usual eyesores like large capital letters spelling their names on useless arches instead of brighter and cleaner streets, safe and well-maintained neighborhoods and even, for goodness sake, proper street signs — well, then, can you blame Juan for saying this government is downright corrupt?
On a personal scale, Juan finds that his salary has remained a pittance but the prices of transport fare, gasoline and consumer goods have kept on increasing, even though the peso has become stronger than the dollar. Not everyone is an economist, so when you ask Juan why he feels miserable even though the President is very happy with the economic progress under her watch, can you blame him for waving his fists in the air?
On the national scale, Juan finds out that government had spent millions or billions of pesos on infrastructure projects, and yet his barrio cousin still has to walk on rough roads to the nearest school or hospital because money had been “spent” on nonexistent bridges. And then he discovers that some national officials were bribing each other with millions more, while he cannot even muster enough funds to buy his family three meals a day! Yes, Juan is one of a large percentage of the population, who, though disgusted, is only able to voice his opinion in TV specials, or alas, maybe the rare survey or two.
So, yes, a Pulse Asia survey should not be dismissed so easily by anyone — not GMA for sure, not her family and friends, not Malacañang and its political supporters, and neither, her critics, of course.
December 15th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
malacanang is always in denial mode on all the controversies it created and always blame the oppositions for politicking. says it’s only the perceptions of the people. yes, it’s only a perceptions since you are still ruling the nation but comes 2010 ( if there will be an election ? ) perception will be a reality and you will suffer the same fate as erap. mark my word !
December 15th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
This survey is not comprehensive. A mere 1,200 respondents out of 86.973 million Filipinos, come on. The Philippines has 17 regions, 81 provinces, 136 cities, 1,494 municipalities and 14, 995 barangays. Not even all the municipalities are covered and they call it a survey? And even if there is one representative of each municipality, do you think that his voice/reply to the questions in the survey is the voice/reply of the whole municipality he represented? Anyway this survey is a survey but it happens only in the Philippines. Just think of a class of 30 students. Does it mean the voice of 2 or 3 students will be the voice of the whole class?
If I am not wrong the respondents were between the ages of 18-40 years old. These 18 year olds were still in their father’s testicles during the time of Marcos.
This survey, if one is really conducted, is in Metro Manila only particularly in areas like Makati, Navotas, and San Juan.
Or who knows all the respondents are from the Philippine Mental Hospital in Mandaluyong.
I am not an Arroyo fanatic but this survey is just a piece if s**t from Osmena’s ass.