MANILA, Philippines- Nanindigan si Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes sa pinakabagong survey ng pollster kung saan makikita na karamihan ay hindi pabor sa charter change matapos kwestiyunin ng ilang mambabatas ng Kamara kung paano ito isinagawa.
“We have been running the questions for 20 years,” pahayag ni Holmes.
“The sequence is we start with asking if they favor charter change, in general, then the specific changes proposed now and before are posed later.”
Kasunod ang pahayag ni Holmes ng pagsita ng ilang House lawmakers na nangunguna sa pagsusulong ng charter change.
“Why include questions that people don’t want and are not related to the ongoing process in Congress? Is this black propaganda?” ani Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe ng Zamboanga City.
“Including unrelated questions in the survey only serves to confuse and mislead the public,” giit pa ni Dalipe, na nanawagan ng mas obhetibong pamamaraan sa mga susunod na survey.
“The people’s voice should be heard directly through a plebiscite, not through biased surveys,” pahayag ng mambabatas.
Sinabi ni Deputy Speaker David Suarez ng Quezon na tila sinulat ang survey questions “to steer respondents towards a specific viewpoint on Charter amendments.”
Aniya, ang pagsasama sa mga katungan sa “contentious issues such as term extension, foreign exploitation of natural resources, and a shift from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government” ay maaaring nakaapekto sa sagot ng respondents.
“The wording of survey questions should accurately reflect the actual provisions being proposed for amendment,” ayon pa kay Suarez.
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, binanggit din nina House Assistant Majority Leaders Jil Bongalon ng Ako Bicol Partylist, Paolo Ortega V ng La Union, at Zia Alonto Adiong ng Lanao del Sur ang ilang isyu.
Batay sa pinakabagong Pulse Asia survey, 74 porsyento ng respondents ang naniniwalang ang 1987 Constitution “should not be amended now nor any other time.”
Bago ang Lenten Break ng Kamara, inaprubahan nito ang charter change resolution na nangangailangan ng Senate concurrence bago ito pairalin.
Subalit, naniniwala ang mga senador na sapat na rason ang survey upang hindi madaliin ang charter change. RNT/SA
