00:00Regulations were put in place for the candidates' surveys and the organization of debates.
00:08This is what Louisa Erispe reported.
00:13Surveys and election debates are not just to stop the spread of fake information.
00:20The Commission on Elections has already put in place regulations
00:24as well as election-related activities.
00:27The survey firms should be legitimate
00:30and follow the guidelines of the Commission on Elections.
00:33We want to know from the report how much was paid,
00:38who commissioned it, and who paid for it,
00:43what scientific methods were used.
00:45Failure to register is a ground for an election offense.
00:49The Commission should report to us who the officials of the firm are
00:55so that if there is a problem with their reporting,
00:57we can sue them and bring them back.
01:00Paul Boddy explained that they don't want to stop the survey firms
01:05and they just want to be sure that the fake surveys won't spread.
01:09They also want to know how much was paid by the Commission to the survey firms.
01:14They might be using it to influence the vote of the people.
01:19If the survey was not really conducted,
01:23or if the survey organization is bogus,
01:26or if they just released it because it favors this,
01:30and they paid for it, that's what we want.
01:33But not the legitimate survey firms and organizations.
01:38We believe that they also want to regulate them.
01:42Because some of them are competing with them,
01:45that's why it's cheaper, for example.
01:47But it's not true.
01:50The media entities that conduct surveys are not included in the need to register in COMELEC,
01:56as well as religious organizations, civic groups, and others.
02:00They just need to talk and report who commissioned it.
02:04It's not applicable and not covered in the regulations
02:08to register our media entities,
02:13not including religious organizations,
02:15cause-oriented groups or organizations,
02:18and also civic organizations,
02:20and educational institutions.
02:22We just need to talk to those entities that are in churches,
02:26in educational institutions.
02:28We just need to know who commissioned it.
02:37Meanwhile, aside from the regulation of surveys,
02:40COMELEC also issued guidelines for the organization of debates by candidates.
02:46Based on the COMELEC Resolution No. 1115,
02:49organizers are obliged to invite all candidates,
02:54and the candidate should also know the issues in the debate.
02:58They should make sure that they know the issues.
03:02It should be issue-based.
03:03Every week before the debate,
03:06the participants should know the issues that are being discussed,
03:12and at the same time,
03:13no candidate should be excluded.
03:16For example, a candidate for mayor,
03:17a candidate for governor or congressman,
03:19everyone should be invited.
03:21Meanwhile, since President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has already signed
03:26the parliamentary election in October,
03:28it is possible for COMELEC to reopen the COC filing in BARMM.
03:32But for this,
03:33in places that will be given additional seats of parliamentary district representatives.
03:37As for balotas,
03:38COMELEC plans to put balotas of the candidates' portraits
03:43and there is also an option for the voters to vote for none of the above.
03:47Luisa Erispe for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
