A relatively new study group – the WR Numero – came up with the result of its survey reportedly conducted from March 31 to April 7, 2025 asking some 1,894 respondent voters on their take of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte now being incarcerated in an ICC holding center in The Hague, Netherlands. The former Chief Executive of the Philippines is held by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crime against humanity as consequence of his bloody war on Illegal drugs.
According to the result of the survey released very lately 3 in every 5 Filipinos wanted the former President to “stand trial at the ICC.” Well, by saying that “3 in every 5 Filipinos” does the survey group wanted it to mean that the 1,894 respondents stand as representatives of the more than P115 million inhabitants of this country?
Assuming that the survey firm is legitimate and has all the necessary documents to prove that it is, Can the result be trusted? And was there really a survey conducted in specific areas in the Philippines to show an even regional and social class distribution of the respondents? Was the survey conducted by the study group on its own? Or, was it not commissioned by certain interest groups to pursue their own agenda?
We are actually asking these questions because it is election season and that the result could be used by whichever group that feels it can work to its advantage.
*****************************
The other day we had the opportunity to hear campaign speeches of a number of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod candidates for councilor. Our rural residence where we are residing lately is just a few meters away from the wall-less covered court of the barangay. So, we were able to hear loud and clear the too generalized and vague commitments of a number of the third district bets.
Most commitments seem to focus on their intention to address issues on health and sanitation, environment protection, farm productivity, livelihood for the marginalized, and even on traffic congestion.
Unfortunately, none of the candidates were able to talk of definitive measures to realize their commitments. For example on the environment, no one mentioned even in passing, the ordinance that needs to be introduced so that environment can be effectively protected by engaging the various stakeholders.
On sanitation and health there were a lot of big words said. However, these were hollow and empty as to the mechanism with which the big word can be translated to action.
Meanwhile, in improving farm productivity the candidates were one in saying that farm gate prices should be increased to give better income to the farmers. Yet, no one ever mentioned of ways how to apply the brakes on the middlemen as well as means to stop bigtime wholesale buyers of rice or copra from maintaining some kind of a cartel where they communicate with each other and agree among themselves how much should be their buying prices.
Then they talked about livelihood for the marginalized sector of the city’s population. But how they plan to do it through local legislation no one dare mention one proposal to be converted into an ordinance.
Personally, we are looking forward to hear any of the candidates for councilor in all of Davao City’s three districts to talk about possible measures for environmental and ecological protection because we are willing to provide inputs that may be useful for the furtherance of his or her measure. We even have in mind several ideas that could be translated into legislative measures that will help address immediate financial needs on certain select situation of the highly disadvantaged sector of their constituents specifically on deaths of family members.
We are certain that every council member has experienced being bothered by their disadvantaged fellow Davaoeños for assistance to defray expenses during wakes of dead relatives.. Taking it from there any councilor can come up with measure that will institutionalize the so-called “Dayong.”
It is just a matter of conceptualizing the methodology. The local government can put up some kind of seed money and grow it by engaging those who would want to be members.
But of course for councilors who will just want to be in the Council for the monthly salary and other benefits, including influence, there may be no need to squeeze their minds to materialize the idea.
