SWS, Pulse Asia and Mercy Abad

Did you know that Pulse Asia and SWS do not... I REPEAT, DO NOT COLLECT THEIR OWN SURVEY'S RAW DATA BY THEMSELVES? These organizations subcontract this work to a little know outfit headed by Mercedes "Mercy" Abad called Trends. It is Trends that does the actual interviews and data gathering for both Pulse and SWS.

Hindi ba weird ito? Why aren't they (SWS, Pulse) doing their own data gathering?

Hindi ba sa US, yung mga polling firms and news organizations like Gallup, CNN, Zogby, Rasmussen, and FOXNEWS that do their own surveys ALSO do their own data collection and interviews on a randomly sampled population?

How can SWS and Pulse call themselves "independent" when they are at the mercy of Trends (no pun intended).

So kung gustong doctorin ni GMA ang survey results, hindi na niya pala kailangang "bilhin" pa ang SWS at Pulse. Bayaran lang niya ang mga taga-Trends so they can manipulate the results of SWS and Pulse survey polls.

It doesn't help na Winnie Monsod (where I first learned of the Trends-SWS-PULSE connection) is vouching for Mercy Abad's integrity. As you know, Solita Monsod is one of the worst pro-GMA and anti-opposition partisan out there.

So kung sinabi ni Winnie na "mapagkakatiwalaan" si Mercy Abad, kabaligtaran lang ang epekto niyan sa akin.

Mas LALO lang akong magdududa kay Mercy at sa Trends niya.

This guy also had it right on the Trends issue:

A letter on surveys: "I used to believe in the integrity of the surveys of Pulse Asia and SWS because I thought that they are the ones doing the actual interviews or legwork of the surveys. It turns out that both of them sub-contract this job. And to only one entity: Trends, Inc.

"Now, I don't believe that Felipe Miranda, or the head of Trends, and surely not Mahar Mangahas could be 'reached' to disfavor FPJ in the actual person-to-person surveys. But consider this: If I don't like FPJ and it is to my interest to put down FPJ and I have millions of money to spend, I can surely 'reach' the interviewers and their supervisors. And the bonus is I have only to control the people of Trends and I can already control the results of both Pulse and SWS. "But of course they will say that these are men of integrity and honor. Ah yes, so sorry, I forgot. I will not think this way again. Surely they were not 'reached', di ba?

"Mike Defensor criticized Ibon Foundation and its survey. But at least, they use their own people whose integrity and honor they can vouch for. Them I can believe together with those UP students who made a survey among students of public and private schools. But of course Malaca?ang do not believe them. And that's okay with me." - Bernardo F. Ronquillo

Tama ka parekoy!