GORDON CAUTIONS PUBLIC: FOCUS ON QUALIFICATIONS, NOT ON SURVEY RESULTS

Senator Richard Gordon has cautioned the public on their basis in choosing the next leaders of the country, stressing that the qualifications of a candidate should be the primary consideration in deciding for the future government officials.

Although the next elections will still be in 2010, a lot of surveys were already published showing the standing of possible candidates. Gordon advised the public not to base their decisions solely on survey results.

Gordon added that the results of surveys should be kept private to prevent the conditioning of people's minds.

"To my mind, kung magpapa-survey ang isang kandidato for president, he should keep the results to himself, because if you publish it, that's mind conditioning. I am against any kind of mind conditioning, because the people could no longer decide based on the qualifications of the candidates," Gordon said.

He said the people should look beyond the surveys, examine the qualifications and performance of the candidates, and have a look at the things they have done for the country.

"As far as I am concerned, dapat pag-ingatan natin itong susunod na eleksyon on 2010. Dapat makapamili ang tao ng kanilang gusto na hindi naiimpluwensyahan kung sino ang lamang. That is why pag lumamang na yung number one, ayaw na makipa-debate. That's not the way it should be. A candidate should declare and discuss his position on certain issues because the people have the right to know about these things," Gordon said.