National and local politicians are now trying hard to work out gimmicks that will advance their political interests to be elected into public office during the upcoming May 12, 2025 mid-term elections. Almost all of them are trying their best to gain the necessary momentum as the campaign period is fast approaching so that it will be easier for them to be remembered by the voters that will translate to votes in their favor on election day.
One of the strategies being availed by the aspirants for the various elected positions to gain headway are surveys, commissioned or non-commissioned, to ensure that they will have the advantage once the campaign period will start. For the national candidates, the 90-day campaign period will start on February 11 while the 45-day campaign period for candidates in the different local elected positions will start on March 28.
Surely, there are credible and non-credible surveys that are now cropping up which are either commissioned by interested individuals and groups while there are also independent surveys.
There are various modes in undertaking the said surveys depending on the survey firm conducting it that is why what is important is for the survey groups to declare whether or not their surveys are commissioned or not aside from the mode of undertaking it among others to ensure transparency for the greater interest of the Filipino voters.
Indeed, there was an earlier survey conducted online that attempted to start conditioning the minds of the electorate that their candidates for the various elected positions are away ahead of their rivals if the elections were done several months ago. Many people violently reacted against the said online survey because it had no systematic and scientific basis as it was only those familiar with the page that voted for their desired candidates and it appeared that they were the die hard supporters of a certain camp. It was part of mind-conditioning for their chosen candidates but upon a careful evaluation and assessment of those who voted, many had dubious names and most of them had foreign sounding identities that already negates the survey results.
Lately, there was a published survey on local candidates which was not actually in favor of the likes of some personalities and political figures that caused them to brand the same as fake, part of mind conditioning among others. It is turning out that when surveys are not in favor of certain camps, their die hard supporters come out with violent reactions as if they know the pulse of the electorate.
People also questioned the credibility of the surveys that had been earlier posted in the social media without even looking into the motive of the said survey, the demographics of the respondents among others. The initial reactions of the key board warriors of various political camps and supporters of politicians just shows our immaturity as electorates because we immediately react to issues instantly without digging deeper into the matter for us to get the right viewpoint.
We believe political surveys have a purpose but those commissioning such activities should ensure that it should be done systematically and systematically to avoid being criticized for whatever lapses that critics might uncover. Anyway, for every politically inclined activity that will be undertaken by certain camps, there will always be the negative view of the camp of their rivals that is why there is no definite conclusion that could be reached once the results are published.
We believe that there are political quarters who are coming out with negative perceptions about the surveys that are coming out because the results are not in favor of their principals and that we should accept. If there are political camps do not agree with the results, then they commission their own surveys that will surely be in their favor that will eventually confuse the electorate.
Candidates and their supporters will surely try everything possible or impossible to ensure their victory in the upcoming elections that is why voters must be wary of the dirty tactics now being employed and will be used just to win in the upcoming polls.
Voters should not be simply carried away by the political gimmicks that will be employed by the candidates and their supporters but instead, they should be critical in analyzing their pronouncements, judging their actions and looking at their positions in various issues in our community among others before casting their votes on election day.
Let us be reminded that there will be no candidate or supporter who will accept that he is weak in the upcoming elections and that everyone will declare that they are the strongest candidates. But the qualified occupants of public positions are those who are humble, willing to be criticized, open-minded, approachable at all times, critical thinker, sociable, listens to the voice of the voiceless among others.
Political gimmicks are just being employed by political camps to cover up their weaknesses in dealing with the issues and concerns of the community that is why politicians who try to rely on their tactics to convince the people to vote for them do not deserve a place in public office.