Butuanons willing to accept money from candidates, but voting for another, says survey

BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews / 23 April) — Many respondents in a recent election survey by the Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) here admitted they would accept money from candidates, but the majority said this does not mean they would vote for the candidate who offered it.

Shirlene T. Alegre (middle), director of Graduate Studies and Research at the Father Saturnino Urios University, addresses questions from attendees during the presentation of the results of Opinion Poll Phase 1 on Tuesday (22 April 2025). MindaNews photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO

This was among the key findings of the university’s Opinion Poll 2025 – Phase 1, now on its sixth installment since it began in 2010.

The results were presented to candidates, members of the media, the academe, and other stakeholders on Tuesday at the FSUU College Building East Hall.

A total of 4,500 registered voters from all 86 barangays in Butuan City participated in the survey, representing at least 2% of the city’s 220,694 registered voters. The sampling was stratified by barangay and designed with a 1% margin of error and a 95% confidence level, according to the study.

Of the total respondents, 68.52% or 3,083 admitted they would accept money if offered.

However, only 27.69% or 854 of them said they would actually vote for the candidate who gave them money, while 72.24% or 2,229 said they would not.

“This suggests that while economic needs influence behavior, they do not necessarily determine political loyalty,” the survey noted.

Among those who said they would accept money, 63.84% said they would use it to buy basic necessities such as rice and medicine.

Shirlene T. Alegre, director of Graduate Studies and Research at FSUU, said that based on past trends, there has been a rise in the number of voters who accept money without voting for the candidate who gave it.

“In 2016, it was about 28%; in 2019, 62%; in 2022, 78.56%. This year, it slightly decreased to 72.24%, but the figure is still high,” Alegre said.

Alegre added that the goal of the initiative is to provide the public with reliable data about the self-reported voter behavior and viewpoints for the upcoming May 12, 2025 national and local elections.

The survey was conducted from April 9 to 16, during which national candidates were in the middle of their campaign period, while local candidates had just begun theirs.

Respondents were also asked about the most pressing issues in their barangays, the characteristics of the leaders that would help them solve the current issues, their idea of a livable city, and their preferred candidates for both national and local positions.

“The results are meant to help the electorate make an informed choice for the upcoming elections and not to persuade or convince them. The survey hopes to determine the challenges and concerns which the city encounters and how those who have responded would like their candidates to deal with these issues,” Alegre said.

Alegre also assured that the survey adhered to ethical standards in scientific research and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to its nonpartisan role as a university in providing impartial and fair dissemination of information.

The Opinion Poll 2025 is funded and conducted by the FSUU Policy Center Inc., in collaboration with the Graduate Studies and Research Office, Community Involvement and Advocacy Office, and the Innovation, Data, Empowerment, and Analytics Office.

Aside from the survey, Jeffrey Carin, Executive Director of the FSUU Policy Center, shared that the university also implements a voters’ education program, which is integrated into the National Service Training Program (NSTP) curriculum for FSUU students.

They also conduct voters’ education for young voters through parishes in the city, in partnership with the Diocese of Butuan.

“We will intensify or strengthen our IEC campaign, especially against vote buying and other undesirable practices during elections,” Carin said.

Carin said the results of the Phase 2 survey will be presented to the public once finalized. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao / MindaNews)