Camarines Sur Second District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte has questioned a student-led poll that saw his opponent for governor in the 2025 midterm polls, Bong Rodriguez, leading as preferred candidate.
The survey conducted by The SPARK, the official student publication of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC), gathered 498 responses from students.
The results were posted on Friday, February 7, 2025, but were taken down later.
Villafuerte went to Facebook and questioned the legitimacy of the poll, calling it "fake" and pointed out what he saw as 'inconsistencies' in its execution.
He shared the results of a separate survey conducted by Pulse Asia Research, Inc. that showed him with a significant lead against Rodriguez.
“Nag pa survey ng Dec 1-7, 2024 pero nag release ng results kahapon lang Feb 7, 2025. Two months after pa nag release ng results,” he said.
Villafuerte also questioned the verification process.
“Paano naman ma-verify ng mga nagpa-survey kung ang nagboto sa survey ay estudyante ng CSPC?” he said.
The CSPC administration later released an official statement distancing itself from the poll. They said the institution had no involvement in the survey’s conduct or dissemination.
“The Administration of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC) wishes to clarify that the recently released 2025 Midterm Elections Preference Polls, conducted by The SPARK, the official student publication of CSPC, was carried out as part of its independent journalistic activities,” it stated.
It further emphasized that the results were not reflective of the entire student body due to the limited number of respondents.
“The survey’s results are based on the responses of only 498 participants, representing a very small portion of CSPC’s student population of over 14,000 students,” it added.
The student publication is yet to release a statement, as of this writing.
NETIZENS REACT
Netizens like Jobert Mercadero questioned the conduct of public figures in responding to criticism.
"Ganito ba dapat ang behavior ng isang pulitiko? Pumatol at magpost ng mukha ng kritiko mo? What you're doing is a cyber libel," Mercadero commented on Villafuerte's post.
"Is this how you respond to a certain critic? Post their face and encourage people to make fun of it?" he added.
He is referring to the image of the Associate Editor of The SPARK that Villafuerte used to support his Facebook post.
Others said sharing a student's photo and name publicly was excessive.
"Exposing the photo and name of the student, with or without consent, is too much!!" another comment said.
Meanwhile, others like Patrick Rescobillo called on the CSPC administration to take a stand in protecting its students. He said that remaining neutral on the issue would reflect where the institution truly stands.
"Let’s not allow students to be oppressed or suppress the press freedom of the publication just because of a simple survey. That is not what an educational institution should be teaching its students," he said.
Discussions on press freedom and the role of student publications in political discourse have gained traction online, with some using #DefendPressFreedom to voice their support.
