The Holy Name University (HNU) stands by the “integrity” of the results of the survey, which included pre-election polls on voter preference on top local government posts, carried out by its Center for Research and Publications (CRP) from February to March.

The overall results of the pre-election round of the HNU Bohol Poll 2019 were not affected by the lapse in the survey process earlier admitted by the poll’s organizers, the leadership of the decades-old university said through a statement issued Tuesday.

“Holy Name University upholds the results of the recent Bohol Poll Survey as presented on March 15, 2019 at the HNU High School Educational Media Center,” the university said in a statement signed by its president, Fr. Francisco Estepa.

The statement was posted on HNU’s official Facebook page after the HNU-CRP admitted that it inadvertently left out questions on voter preference for the posts of vice governor and second district representative.

According to HNU-CRP director Ma. Paz Espiritu, their group unintentionally failed to insert questions on the two elective posts into the survey, which is conducted every year.

Espiritu said that HNU-CRM conducts surveys on various issues annually but only includes its pre-election round during election years.

“Kaning Bohol Poll kada-tuig g’yud namo ni himuon, from 1996 up to 2019, so naa ani mga questions na regular makit-an kada-tuig. Kung election year, naay gamay na variation, mag two rounds mi. Naay Bohol Poll regular round, unya Bohol Poll pre-election round,” Espiritu said.

“Sa election year, we use the same questionnaire [used] kada-tuig since 1996. Unya sa election year, amo ra silang suksokan og questions on voters’ preference… In all honesty, wa gyu’y malice, wa g’yud koy huna-huna na manikas or whatever. I accidentally missed to insert the questions for vice governor and district two representative,” she added.

The Bohol Poll 2019’s voter preference segment on posts for governor, first district and third district representatives, Tagbilaran City mayor and vice mayor was unaffected by the lapse.

The survey was still conducted on 400 respondents from the first, second and third districts, and Tagbilaran City with 100 respondents from each of the said localities.

The HNU-CRM, through Espiritu, was trained by the Social Weather Systems in conducting surveys in 1996. Since then, the HNU-CRM has been conducting polls on various issues and pre-election voters’ preference.

In HNU’s latest pre-election survey, Rep. Arthur Yap emerged as the leading candidate for governor of the province. He would be elected governor by 53 percent of Boholanos if the elections were held during the survey period, based on the poll.

Former Cabinet secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr., perceived to be Yap’s top rival among three other gubernatorial bets, meanwhile garnered 35 percent of the survey votes.

VOTERS’ PREFERENCE FOR OTHER POSTS:
 
First District Representative

Gov. Edgar Chatto (86%)

Dan Lim (14%)

Third District Representative

Board Member Alexie Tutor (33%)

Vice Gov. Dionisio Balite (30%)

Che Toribio Delos-Reyes (21%)

Tagbilaran City Mayor

Mayor Baba Yap (90%)

Sharleen Lim (6%)

Tagbilaran City Vice Mayor

Toto Veloso (78%)

Arlene Karaan (13%)