Pulse Asia won’t stop pre-election surveys

MANILA, Philippines - Independent pollster Pulse Asia said yesterday it would not stop conducting pre-election surveys amid calls from political coalitions urging survey firms to disclose their subscribers.

Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes also said they could not reveal the identities of those who commission their surveys.

Holmes said only the person who commissioned or paid for the surveys can decide whether or not his identity will be disclosed as part of their agreement in undertaking the polls.

“(We are) not required (to disclose), only those who commissioned,” Holmes said in a text message to The STAR.

“We will just continue to comply with what is established by law,” Holmes said.

Earlier Supreme Court decisions allowed for the publication of systematic surveys.

UNA and Team PNoy had urged Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations (SWS) to identify the financiers of their surveys.

UNA campaign manager Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco accused SWS of refusing to disclose the funders of its surveys, which he said was a violation of a resolution of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The STAR tried to get the reaction of SWS president Mahar Mangahas but he could not be reached for comment as of press time.