Trillanes points out flaws in Pulse Asia latest survey

Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV questions the accuracy, validity and integrity of the latest Ulat ng Bayan survey of the Pulse Asia on the Performance and Trust Ratings of President Rodrigo Duterte, which was conducted from June 15 to 21.

Trillanes pointed out two highly questionable findings in the said survey. One of which is the result in Mindanao, where Duterte got a 99 percent approval rating.

"That is statistically improbable. Even at the height of the 2016 elections, Duterte didn't get close to 99%. Ngayon pa, with Duterte's failed promises, violence and hardship that are happening in Mindanao, 99 out of 100 of them would still approve of Duterte? That is pure garbage. Just ask the residents of Marawi, whose lives and homes were destroyed and you'll know what I'm talking about," Trillanes explained.

Trillanes also pointed out the huge jump in Duterte's approval rating in National Capital Region, from 56 in March to 83 percent in June.

Trillanes further explained: "What miracle happened which would explain that plus-27% in Duterte's rating in NCR during that span? On the contrary, before their survey period, the negative issues on the arrest of tambays, inflation, rice shortage, the killing of priests and the continued extra-judicial killings were dominant."

Trillanes also questioned the timing of the release of the survey, which came after the SWS released its survey result. According to him, "if Pulse's survey was conducted two weeks earlier than the survey of SWS, then why was it released a week after SWS? Are they now being used as a propaganda tool?"

"Also, Ms. Tabunda of Pulse Asia cannot possibly defend the inaccuracies in their result precisely because they outsourced their field research. They would not know how it was actually done, and whether the integrity of the survey was compromised."

Trillanes also recalled that this is not the first time that Pulse Asia's survey result became questionable. In the last survey conducted by Pulse merely two weeks prior to the 2007 Senatorial Elections, Trillanes was ranked 20th, but ended up in number 11 during the actual elections.

"It's either the integrity of the field research has been compromised, or the research design of Pulse Asia itself is flawed," Trillanes further emphasized.