A Facebook page supporting senatorial candidate and incumbent Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero posted an edited photo of OCTA Research’s April senatorial survey to depict he enjoyed a 100% voter preference. In reality, it was only 50%.
Heart ko si Chiz uploaded the photo on April 19, blurring out a significant portion of OCTA Research’s Tugon ng Masa survey results to show only Escudero’s name beside a 100 mark. The photo also bore the headline “CHIZ AMONG PREFERRED SENATORS IN OCTA SURVEY.”
The image excluded two measures in the original polls: respondents’ awareness of the candidate and voter preference. Awareness does not necessarily translate to voter preference.
This explains why despite 100% of respondents saying they were aware of Escudero’s senatorial bid, only half said they would vote for him.
Although Escudero maintains his spot in the winner’s circle, his voter preference in April dipped 13 percentage points from OCTA Research’s March survey.
None of the senatorial bets scored a 100% voting preference. Radio host Raffy Tulfo, who topped the pre-election survey, only got 68%.
While the image misleads about Escudero’s survey numbers, the post’s caption correctly reads:
If elections were held during the survey period from April 2 to 6, 50 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Escudero, a veteran lawmaker who served the Senate for two consecutive terms, according to OCTA Research’s latest nationwide polls called “Tugon ng Masa.”
Respondents in OCTA Research’s April 2 to 6 survey were shown a list of senatorial candidates and asked to pick their bets if the elections were to happen at the time the survey was administered.
The survey had 1,200 adult respondents and a ±3% margin of error.
The FB post has garnered 1,500 reactions, 50 comments and 15 shares as of writing. (JC)