Categories
FACT CHECK FB FC PHL Vote 2022

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Survey that shows Marcos leading by ‘99.9’ percent a SATIRE

Satire

An altered graphic showing presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. gaining 99.9% of the voter share in a survey has resurfaced days before the election. This is a satire. 

On May 4, a Facebook (FB) page published the doctored image and bore the caption: “As of May 4, 2022. (Nahiya pa. Di pa ginawang 100%) ([They’re] still embarrassed. They did not make it 100%) #NoToMarcosDuterte2022”

FB page Dong Abay posted the graphic with the head, “Marcos Leads Latest False Asia Survey for Presidential Race” mocking the Pulse Asia survey.

The graphic first emerged in March in the Amor Powers blog site, which identifies itself as ‘Just for Fun’ page, with the caption:BREAKING NEWS: Inilabas na ng Pulse Asia ang pinakabago nitong survey kung saan nakakuha ng 99.9% ang dating senador na si Bongbong Marcos, Jr. (Pulse Asia released its latest survey where former senator Bongbong Marcos got 99.9%)”

The altered diagram, which showed Marcos garnering a near unanimous vote and his rivals getting little to no share of the votes, was based on a graphic used by the Inquirer.net in its Feb. 13 FB post. It showed the results of the January voter preference survey by pollster Pulse Asia with Marcos leading with 60%, followed by vice-president Leni Robredo with 16%.

Pulse Asia, in a May 3 press statement, meanwhile, said it does not publish any material that “deviate from or distort accepted social science principles and practices.”

“We have emphasized, time and again, that survey results are time bound and, except for the exit poll, face serious limitations as a means of predicting actual election results,” the poll body added.

The manipulated graphic appeared a couple of days after Pulse Asia published its voter preference survey for the month of April which showed that 56 pct of the respondents preferred Marcos over the other candidates, which was almost the same compared to its previous survey.

The doctored graphics posted by Dong Abay (created on Nov. 11, 2009) and Amor Powers (July 14, 2017) have garnered more than 13,600 reactions, 1,160 comments and 1,410 shares. Many of those who commented knew the post was a joke.

Have you seen any dubious claims, photos, memes, or online posts that you want us to verify? Fill out this reader request form.

(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)