Pulse Asia's Holmes: DDS vs. Dilawan online skirmishes have little effect on survey results

The heated bitter debate online between supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte and those of the political opposition has little impact on opinion surveys, Pulse Asia President Prof. Ronald Holmes has said.

In an episode of The Mangahas Interviews on Thursday, Holmes said social media clashes between the so-called Duterte Diehard Supporters or DDS and the Dilawan group have little impact on Pulse Asia's surveys.

He told veteran journalist Malou Mangahas that only a few poll respondents used the internet for political discussions.

"Masasabi natin na hindi gaanong ganoon kalaki ang epekto niya. Ito batay sa aming pananaliksik," Holmes said, adding that only 6 in 10 Filipinos were connected to the internet.

[It has little effect. This is based on our research.]

Of the said figure, they only use internet for social media giant Facebook and other social networking.

"Ilan lamang sa kanila, 3 sa 10 lamang ang nagbabasa ng balita tungkol sa pulitika at pamahalaan," Holmes said.

"At 1 sa 10 ang bahagi ng isang diskusyon ng isang grupo na tumatalakay sa pulitika so ibig sabihin mayroong naapektuhan pero nanatili pa rin ang echo chamber sa pangkalahatan ang social media," he added.

[Three in 10 Filipinos are reading news about politics and government. One in 10 are members of a group discussing politics so it means people are being affected but the echo chamber in social media remains in the majority.] —Consuelo Marquez/NB, GMA News