At least four (FB) posts claimed to show results from a survey conducted by a polling body called PhilData Trends about the 2025 race for Manila mayor.
This needs context. The legitimacy of PhilData Trends and its survey is questionable. While the circulating graphics claim that PhilData Trends polled 800 people, there is currently no live record of the body online to verify what PhilData is, who is behind it, what were the actual results of the survey, who commissioned it, the methodology used and survey scope – which are key disclosures in credible polls.
The FB page of PhilData Trends appears to have been taken down or deleted.
Screenshots of netizens however have pointed out that its previously active page, which had around 105,000 followers and was already unavailable as of Jan. 27, was created on Aug. 5, 2016 as a fanpage for the actress Maymay Entrata. Its name was changed this Jan. 11 to “PhilData Trends”.
PhilData Trends, with the slogan “Decoding Trends, Driving Decisions”, is not a registered company or incorporation under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Meanwhile, established polling firms in the Philippines such as PulseAsia, Social Weather Station and OCTA Research are all SEC-registered.
A cursory search for the keyword “PhilData Trends” on FB revealed a Page with 100 followers that used the same logo, originally created on Dec. 24, 2015 under the name Rahma Sawitri.
A version of the suspicious survey, posted from Jan. 17 to 25, claimed that 72.1% of the respondents would vote reelectionist candidate Isko Moreno Domagoso, 13.5% preferred Tutok To Win Rep. Sam “SV” Verzosa, 12.3% would pick Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, while 1.4% would elect actor Raymond Bagatsing.
Another version of the questionable poll, posted on Jan. 19, switched the figures between Lacuna and Domagoso. It claimed that 72.1% of the respondents would pick Lacuna while 12.3% would vote Domagoso.
Published by FB pages Pepe News (created on June 17, 2015), Yorme’s Choice (created on Sept. 20, 2024), PBA: Politika, Basketbol, at Artista (created on Oct. 11, 2018), and Metro Manila News (created on Dec. 15, 2018), the posts needing context garnered a total of over 19,088 reactions, 2,961 comments, and 863 reactions.
These appeared 11 days after polling firm OCTA Research published a survey that placed Domagoso as the front runner among Manila mayoral candidates for the 2025 elections.
