13 party-list groups may win in May – survey

Thirteen out of the 97 party-list groups, led by Bayan Muna, have a statistical chance of winning in the May 14 congressional elections.

In its March 2007 Ulat ng Bayan, Pulse Asia’s survey showed Bayan Muna garnered 11.9 percent, "more than enough to give them three seats in the Lower House."

The survey was conducted before Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo was charged and arrested.

However, at the time of the interviews, media reports were filled with issues of unexplained killings, including the creation of special courts to handle cases involving unexplained killings as well as the military’s alleged surveillance of several media people and the so-called "militarization" of some areas in Metro Manila.

Pulse Asia said the other news that dominated the headlines were the removal of Sen. Francis Pangilinan from the senatorial slate of the Genuine Opposition (GO), the cancellation of a few of the GO’s provincial sorties, the media expenses of senatorial candidates, the revamp in the campaign teams of both Team Unity (TU) and GO, the scheduled debate on the economy between TU and GO senatorial candidates, the dive in market share prices worldwide and the cut in power rates in the country.

More than half of Filipino registered voters or 57 percent would vote for a party-list group if elections were held today, the independent pollster reported yesterday.

Other groups with three seats are Gabriela Women’s Party (6.4 percent), Akbayan! Citizen’s Action Party (7 percent), and Anakpawis (8 percent).

Nine groups would be able to send one representative each to the House of Representatives: Citizens Battle Against Corruption (2.2 percent), Ahon Pinoy (2.2 percent), Kabataan (2.3 percent), Alyansa ng Sambayanan para sa Pagbabago (2.4 percent), Anak Mindanao (2.4 percent), Anak Mahirap Learning Center Inc. (2.6 percent), Angat Ating Kabuhayan (2.7 percent), Angat Antas Kabuhayan Pilipino Movement (2.8 percent), and Aangat Tayo (3.6 percent).

Meanwhile, Pulse Asia said nearly half of Filipino registered voters or 49 percent are aware of the party-list system, lower than the January 2007 figure of 55 percent.

Their level of awareness reached 63 percent in the Visayas, 51 percent in the National Capital Region, 46 percent in Mindanao and 41 percent in the rest of Luzon.

In terms of socio-economic classes, Pulse Asia said those belonging to the "best-off" socio-economic grouping are most aware of the party-list system relative to those in the poorer classes at 59 percent in Class ABC against 44 percent to 49 percent in Classes D and E.

The survey was conducted from Feb. 28 to March 5, using face-to-face interviews of 1,800 representative adults 18 years old and above.

Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a plus or minus two percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.