Press Release
December 12, 2007

Transcript of interview with Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

On the survey results that President Arroyo is the most corrupt Philippine

I am filing a resolution, possibly by tomorrow morning, to investigate not only the particular survey firm but all major survey firms that have their results published in the media. I would like to know 1) who pays for these surveys. I am not buying to the claim that these surveys are not commissioned. Who is funding them? You cannot just conduct a professional scientific survey without funding. So how come these survey firms claim that they are not commissioned? Do you really mean to tell me that a private commercial company, meaning to say a profit company will take the bother and expense of taking a survey and losing money for the effort just to gain a headline? That does not make business sense.

And 2) I am not about to be inveigled to the belief that these survey results are accurate. Apart from the usual criticisms of accuracy of surveys, I don't that any right-minded scientific professional survey firm will conduct a one-sided survey. There will always be a positive part of the survey. For example, it may ask "Who is the most corrupt president?" but it should ask also "Who do you think is the most successful economically among the presidents we've had?"

My unconfirmed report is that a member of the opposition commissioned the survey and was able to convince a major daily to use it as a banner headline. This is not a coincidence. Also, I would like to know how these survey firms support themselves, for normally it by soliciting patrons from the business world, but generally they do not concentrate on politics. In other countries you will find that survey firms are active only during actual campaigns, and they try as much as possible to objective, that is to say present two sides to issue so that they can elicit credibility. I know for a fact, as a public official and as an ordinary citizen, that these surveys are not highly thought of precisely because they are so biased in their reporting.

There is a specific name circulating among administration allies. We were exchanging news and information this morning in the CA hearing. Word does get around; you cannot keep this under wraps. Someone will always tell who was the person who was behind a certain survey.

All you have to do is sit and think for one second: who is the right-minded person who will go out of his way to conduct a scientifically-accepted survey with all the expense it incurs without being paid for it? Possibly the churches, whose motives will not be suspect. Or the academics, because they are known to do these foolhardy ventures (in a business sense). Otherwise, a commercial company will not undertake this kind of non-profit activity.

I am outraged as an ordinary reader or part of the audience that I should be presented with biased and one-sided news.

Could he/she be a former president?

This survey firm has always been associated with a former president. I would not say that there is a direct connection between that former president and this firm. I do know however that there is an opposition figure who commissioned the survey and paid the firm� He is very slippery. It (the survey) does serve the purpose of the opposition to put President Arroyo down.

On the Powercom hearing tomorrow

At the hearing of the JCPC tomorrow, we will look into 1) the explanation for the auction and sale of the EDC, and its possible illegality; 2) the accusations hurled by the opposition against the validity of the auction to the successful bidder of Transco; and 3) the accusations recently made by a congressman of alleged overpricing of coal on the part of NAPOCOR.

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