Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines said Filipinos believe in the importance of accountability and trustworthiness in public office, as reflected by the results of a recent poll.
“For Filipino consumers, honesty is a non-negotiable requirement for public service,” CitizenWatch Philippines said.
A quarter of Filipino voters seek senatorial candidates who “will not be corrupt,” according to a Social Weather Stations survey conducted on Dec. 16 to 19, 2018.
The fourth-quarter survey commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute shows that “Will not be corrupt” tops the list of qualities that Filipino voters look for in a senatorial candidate.
The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, with 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The survey used a structured questionnaire with visuals.
To the question, “What qualities are you looking for in a senatorial candidate of the Philippines? You may give up to three answers,” about 25 percent of Filipino adults nationwide answered “will not be corrupt.”
No list of answers was provided to prompt the respondents.
“We, at CitizenWatch Philippines, echo the same public sentiment as we stand for accountability and trustworthiness in public office. No less than the Philippine Constitution highlights this importance,” CitizenWatch said in a statement.
Section 1 of Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the “public office is a public trust.”
“Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives,” it states.
Filipino voters will troop to the polling precincts on May 13, 2019 to elect national and local officials, including 12 members of the Senate and all members of the House of Representatives.
“The role of these candidates cannot be further underscored as legislative power is vested in the Congress of the Philippines, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, except to the extent reserved to the people by the provision on initiative and referendum. Ultimately, these senatorial candidates have the power to legislate polices that have direct effect on consumers—either to their detriment or to their advantage,” CitizenWatch Philippines said.
“As we move towards the peak of the election season, CitizenWatch Philippines advocates for candidates who possess the competence, utmost integrity and trust to lead our country back in the right direction,” it said.
Other qualities in candidates sought by respondents are “have concern for the poor” with 22 percent; have “good personal characteristics” with 21 percent; “are trustworthy” with 21 percent; are “concerned about or helpful to those in need” with 20 percent; “walk his talk / fulfills his promises” with 14 percent; and “can give solutions to the problems of the country” with 9 percent.
CitizenWatch Philippines is an advocacy group that champions the interest of Filipino consumers. Last year, it warned against the oil and power rate hikes, which contributed to an inflation rate of 6.7 percent in September and October 2018, the highest since 2015.”‹
