Result of Pulse Asia survey confirms effectiveness of old strategy

MANILA, Philippines - The traditional and simplest tactic of party-list organizations to establish name recall is proving to effective, if the result of Pulse Asia's recent survey is any indication.

Of the 43 groups that the survey says will likely get seats in Congress, 33 have acronyms that begin with the letter "A" or the number "1."

Since the party list was introduced in 1998, the number of groups accredited to join have always been around 100, often even more, thus causing confusion among voters. Coming first in an alphabetical list has therefore always been advantageous for the competing organizations

In past elections, which were done manually, a blank was left for voters to write their preferred group. The list of party-list groups they could choose from--posted at the voting booths or desks, were arranged alphabetically. Participating groups believed that voters who didn't have any group in mind would not bother checking the list down to the last entry and would just choose from the first several entries.

For the automated elections this year, the accredited party-list groups will all be listed alphabetically on the ballot. Voters will just need to shade the oval that corresponds to their preferred organization.

The Pulse Asia survey, conducted January 22 to 26, identified the Filipinos’ choice party-list groups through face-to-face interviews with 1,800 respondents of voting age. It has a ±2 percent margin of error.

The ballots used the survey where respondents indicated their preferred party-list groups conformed to the Commission on Elections’ sample ballot. The names of party-list groups were also listed in alphabetical order. A total of 187 party-list groups have been approved by the Commission on Elections to participate in the May elections.

The survey showed that groups like 1-Aangat Tayo (1-AK), AnakPawis (AP), and Akbayan Citizens Action Party, whose names start with “1” or “A,” might get 3 seats in the House if the party-list election is held before May 10, the Pulse Asia pre-election survey said.

Two seats each might go to Aahon Pinoy (AHON), Aangat Tayo (AT), Anak Mindanao (AMIN), and ABONO. Twenty-six names starting with “A” and “1,”--including 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA), 1-Aani, and 1st Kabagis--might win a seat each.

There was something common among the few organizations that respondents remembered and chose even if their names did not start with the supposedly strategic "A" and "1"--they are known to have organizations the can deliver the votes, and they are currently represented in the House.

They are mostly Left-leaning groups like Bayan Muna, Gabriela, and Kabataan. Incumbents Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay) and the Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) also figured in the preferred list, as did a group called You and Me Against Crime and Corruption (Yacap).

Pulse Asia computed the number of seats of the party-list groups based on the recent Supreme Court decision that upheld that party-list representatives shall compose of 20% of the total number of representatives in the House.

In the first level of allocation, those that obtained 2% of the votes cast for the party list are guaranteed a seat each. The second round provides additional seats to the leading groups in proportion to their total number of votes. It also distributes the rest of the seats to party-list groups that received less than 2% of the votes.

A party-list group can occupy a maximum of 3 seats.

The 9 party-list groups that led the Pulse Asia survey:

1. Bayan Muna-8.03%, 3 seats
2. 1-AK-6.34%, 3 seats
3. AnakPawis-5.88%, 3 seats
4. Gabriela-5.55%,3 seats
5. Akbayan-5.07%, 3 seats
6. Ahon Pinoy-3.32%, 2 seats
7. Aangat Tayo-3.22%, 2 seats
8. Anak Mindanao-2.80%, 2 seats
9. Abono-2.59%, 2 seats

(Newsbreak)