MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said voters should not solely rely on surveys in selecting candidates in the May 13 midterm polls.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez noted that survey results do not reflect the real personalities of those who are seeking public office.
“Surveys offer only a snapshot of a candidate’s popularity. It does not reveal anything substantial about the candidate’s qualifications, character, or potential as an elected government official,” he said.
He added: “In a very real sense, choosing on a candidate on the basis of survey ranking alone is indistinguishable from judging a book by its cover.”
Jimenez encouraged the public to look for more criteria in choosing whom to vote for in the upcoming polls.
“Clearly, there are better ways of selecting leadership: proven track record, stated positions (or the lack thereof) on critical issues, the voter’s personal knowledge,” he said. “These and other inputs to the voters’ decision making process should not be ignored, simply because it is so much easier to just jump on the bandwagon.” (With PNA/PN)
