MANILA (UPDATE) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has scheduled a dialogue with different survey firms on Thursday, February 27, to iron out guidelines on how to monitor election surveys this midterm polls.

Why Comelec requires registration of poll firms

Comelec chairman George Garcia told the media on Monday that it will send invitations to about 6 known survey firms for the said meeting.

Garcia also clarified who are required to register to the commission when conducting election surveys.

“Ang aming regulasyon patungkol sa surveys ay hindi patungkol at hindi applicable sa ating mga media entities, religious organization, cause oriented groups, civic organizations, at educational institutions, hindi po kasama na kinakailangang magpa-register,” Garcia explained.

The Comelec chief also called on the media, religious organizations and other stakeholders to at least mention in their stories who commissioned or paid for the survey. 

“Ang amin lang pong pakiusap sa mga nasa simbahan, nasa educational institutions, sana lang masabi lang don kung sino at papaano - sino ba nag-commission nito? Gusto naming malaman sa report, sino nagbayad, sino ang nagbayad nito, ano ang ginamit na scientific method,” Garcia added.

Comelec requires survey firms to register, reveal how much candidates spent

Excluded in the mandatory registration to the commission are the "kalsada survey" or those informal election surveys, Garcia said 

“Yung mga ginagawang kalsada surveys ay hindi po kasama yun. Yung mga ginagawang surveys ng mga diaryo, radyo at hindi po kasama yun sapagkat yan po ay part ng news and public affairs program. Ayaw natin na maba-violate yung freedom of the press,” according to Garcia. 

Garcia said failure to register is a ground for an election offense.

“This is the biggest attempt of Comelec to regulate surveys,” Garcia said.

ELECTION DEBATES

The Comelec issued guidelines for the conduct of election debates this coming midterm election. 

Resolution 11115 promulgated on February 17 stated that debate organizers shall ensure that all bona fide candidates are invited, well-represented, and treated equally.

The organizers, according to Comelec, shall inform the agency in writing of the conduct of said debate, forum or interview series at least one week prior to the conduct of the event.

Comelec may issue order obligating candidates to attend debates

The appearance or exposure of any candidate in a debate will not be deducted in their airtime as stated under Comelec resolution on political advertisement.

Garcia said under the resolution, candidates are not obliged to attend the debate but organizers must invite all of them.

"Dapat lang maimbitahan lahat pero hindi mandatory na dumalo," he said.

“Yung sa pag-obliga sa kanila mandatorily, hindi na muna nilagay [sa resolution] kasi pinag-aaralan natin ang issue ng constitutionality. Pero dapat issue based, at isang linggo bago debate, dapat alam ng mag participate more or less anong issues na tatalakayin,” Garcia explained.

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