Philippine polling firm disowns 'local election survey' graphics

Philippine organisation Pulse Asia Research denied releasing pre-election survey results for a couple of local races as the Southeast Asian nation held a crucial mid-term vote on May 12, 2025. Mistakes in the circulating images indicate they are inauthentic.

"Former President Rodrigo Duterte who is currently detained in Hague, Netherlands (sic) is still leading in the latest Pulse Asia 2025 Electoral Preference Survey in Davao City from April 26 to May 6," reads a Facebook post on May 9.

Another post claims to share Pulse Asia Research poll numbers for central Cebu province's race for governor and appears to show candidate Pamela Baricuatro massively leading incumbent Gwen Garcia.

Some 18,000 seats were up for grabs in the mid-term elections largely defined by the explosive feud between President Ferdinand Marcos and impeached Vice President Sara Duterte (archived link).

The 12 senators chosen will form half the jury in Duterte's trial tentatively set for July that could see her permanently barred from public office.

Her father ex-president Rodrigo Duterte -- detained in The Hague for a crimes against humanity charge -- remains on the ballot in his family's southern stronghold of Davao city where he is seeking to retake his former job as mayor.

An initial tally showed the 80-year-old former leader has won in a landslide.

Baricuatro is currently leading Garcia with over 98 percent of returns in, results from the poll agency Comelec released by local media showed as of May 13.

The circulating graphics, however, are not from Pulse Asia Research according to the organisation.

"We strongly denounce any unauthorized use of our name to disseminate false or misleading information," reads a statement posted on its website May 9 which disowned the purported Davao city survey as well as several other local poll results (archived link).

Ronald Holmes, the organisation's president, separately said on Facebook they "did not conduct any survey in Cebu province" (archived link).

Keyword searches on the official website and verified Facebook page of Pulse Asia Research found no such surveys (archived here and here).

The circulating graphics also do not match the format of the firm's survey publications which include the full names of candidates and indicate the question that respondents were asked (archived link).

Moreover, the alleged Davao city survey only lists two rivals for former president Duterte for the mayoral race but Comelec's website says five candidates are vying for the seat.

AFP has debunked other misinformation swirling around the Philippine mid-term vote here.