Comelec mulls banning surveys close to Election Day

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will study the possibility of banning voter preference surveys close to Election Day, following concerns raised by senators about the potential for “mind-conditioning.”

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body will draft a bill which he initially called the Philippine Election Silence Law.

“We will be forwarding it to the majority floor and chairman of this committee hopefully to be able to sponsor such a bill,” he said, referring to Majority Leader Migz Zubiri and finance committee chairman Win Gatchalian.

“Without violating ‘yung constitutional rights of free expression, ’yung tinatawag na prior restraint,” Garcia added.

The discussion arose during the Senate finance committee’s hearing on the proposed ₱11.8 billion budget of Comelec for next year.

The issue was raised by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who criticized the credibility of pre-election surveys, recalling that he used to land only on the 22nd place in the polls - a far cry from his rank 6.

“Hindi reliable ang surveys. Nakakapagbigay nga ng mindset which is not good for the electorate [Surveys are not reliable. They create a mindset that is not healthy for the electorate],” Marcoleta said, initially pushing for a total ban on polls related to politics.

“I think they will do well in surveying kung anu-ano yung mga produkto natin… ano ang pinakamasarap na bagoong,” he said.

Garcia said the Comelec issued a resolution regulating surveys ahead of the last midterm elections, but added that broader restrictions may require legislation. Comelec Commissioner Rey Bulay noted that any move to ban surveys would need to consider freedom of speech and expression.

Marcoleta later refined his proposal, calling for a ban on surveys three months before the elections.

Gatchalian supported the idea, pointing out that other countries such as Taiwan already implement similar policies, including a 10-day survey publication ban before elections.

“We are paying so much for our election, what we want is a fair and an election process that reflects the true aspirations of the people,” he said.