Latest news with #DindoManhit
GMA Network
29-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
SWS: 93% VP Sara should prioritize country's needs
Ninety-three percent of registered Filipino voters are of the opinion that Vice President Sara Duterte should 'collaboratively work to prioritize the nation's needs,' the results of the Stratbase-SWS survey conducted from May 2 to 6 showed. The commissioned survey on Filipinos' post-election expectations conducted among 1,800 registered voters nationwide and with a margin of error of ±2.31%, showed that 88% think the Vice President should 'address the impeachment charges, answer all allegations pertaining to corruption, and clear her name.' Among those who believe Sara Duterte should prioritize the nation's needs, 74% believe she 'definitely should' while 19% think she 'probably should.' Among those who think she should answer the impeachment charges, 68% said she 'definitely should' while 20% said she 'probably should.' The other actions that the survey asked respondents whether the Vice President should do are the following: Focus on implementing her own platform and policies - 86% Continue her duties as Vice President and stop politicizing - 81% Step back from criticizing the government and its initiatives - 74% "Accountability is not an option. It is foundational to public trust. Prominent leaders like the Vice President should look past politics and personal interests, and respond to the people's call for transparency," Stratbase Institute president Dindo Manhit said of the survey results. "It is about time for her to answer all the allegations filed against her. After all, it's the Filipino people who our elected officials vowed to serve," he added in a statement. –NB, GMA Integrated News
Independent Singapore
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Why the Philippines' poorest may choose survival over standing up to China
Filipinos are among the largest group of migrants working as domestic staff abroad, whose lives are often far from easy. Ritchie B Tongo/EPA PHILIPPINES: A survey by the pollster Social Weather Stations commissioned by the Stratbase Group shows 75% of Filipinos favour Senate candidates who assert the republic's maritime privileges in the West Philippine Sea. However, among those who live below the poverty level, categorised as Class E, 41% are in favour of candidates who are not planning to make this issue a priority. That's pointedly more than the national average of 25%. According to the latest SCMP report, political analysts attribute this to the daily economic hardships that this group faces and how foreign policy is frequently relegated to the background in favour of survival. Political science professionals also emphasise that, in many campaigns, candidates focus more on jobs, food issues take centre stage, and local needs are highlighted more instead of issues of national sovereignty or maritime rights. Disinformation and political messaging targeting the poor Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase, cautioned that underprivileged communities are being 'disproportionately influenced' by propaganda and half-truths disseminated through Chinese-backed social media campaigns. 'Class E's daily fight for survival leaves them more susceptible to these manipulations,' Manhit said. The matter is not new. In 2024, a bogus news flash regarding impending civil warfare in the Philippines was discovered to have come from Chinese social media sources. The National Security Council has since found 'indications' that the Chinese government is steering synchronised 'influence manoeuvres' targeted at influencing Filipino voters' decisions. China denies meddling, while political lines blur The Chinese embassy in Manila denied any form of participation in the so-called manoeuvring activities, calling the allegations monstrous and condemning these accusations as tactics to make China an election issue. However, the consular declaration has not subdued the apprehensions, particularly as China-friendly personalities, together with cronies of former president Rodrigo Duterte, have stayed prominent in the political race. At present, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s government is making an effort to detach itself from these blocs, stressing a harder stance on sovereignty. Nonetheless, for millions of Filipino voters, especially the poor, the issue regarding the West Philippine Sea remains a distant problem unless it directly affects their livelihood, such as fisherfolk who depend on fishing rights.
South China Morning Post
02-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why Philippines' poorest voters may not back hardline anti-China candidates
With less than two weeks to go before the Philippines ' midterm elections, a new survey shows a surprising divergence in voter preferences over Manila's maritime dispute with China – particularly among the country's poorest. Advertisement While an overwhelming 75 per cent of Filipinos say they prefer Senate candidates who will assert the Philippines' rights over the West Philippine Sea – Manila's name for parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone – that number drops sharply among the nation's most economically vulnerable, according to a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations, commissioned by the Stratbase Group. Among Filipinos in class E – those living below the poverty line – 41 per cent said they would vote for candidates who do not plan to assert the country's maritime claims, far higher than the national average of 25 per cent. Analysts have linked the trend to the reach of China-backed disinformation and the dominance of bread-and-butter issues for lower-income voters, many of whom are more concerned with economic survival than foreign policy. A woman sorts plastic items from piles of rubbish to be sold at recycling shops in Manila. Over 40 per cent of Filipinos living below the poverty line say they would vote for candidates who do not plan to assert the country's maritime claims. Photo: AFP Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase, said the results showed how disinformation had disproportionately influenced class E voters, making them 'the primary targets and victims' of Beijing's information operations ahead of the elections on May 12.
