FACT CHECK: Local surveys showing Duterte family, others winning, are fake — Pulse Asia

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Pulse Asia Research Inc. President Ronald Homes released a statement on its official website debunking the alleged 2025 Pulse Asia electoral preference surveys circulating online

Claim: Pulse Asia Research Inc. released a series of local election preference surveys conducted in Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, Davao del Norte, and Davao de Oro.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook page named, “Maisug Mindanao,” with 2,000 followers and 442 likes, posted a series of alleged results from Pulse Asia Research Inc. on May 9, three days before the 2025 midterm elections. 

The posts contain the polling body’s official logo and name. The alleged dates when the surveys were conducted were also included, ranging from April 16 to May 6. Based on the results, the Dutertes are shown as dominating the elections in Davao City; the Gonzagas in Davao de Oro; the Dayanghirangs and Almarios in Davao Oriental; and the Uys and Rodriguezs in Cagayan de Oro, among others.

As of writing, the cumulative shares of the posts are more than 1,500, with more than 900 reactions and 160 comments.

The facts: In a statement posted on its official website, Pulse Asia Research Inc. President Ronald Homes said the surveys were fake.

“We wish to clarify that Pulse Asia Research did not conduct any of these surveys. We strongly denounce any unauthorized use of our name to disseminate false or misleading information,” he wrote.

Unverified Facebook page: The Facebook page that posted the false claims associates itself with Hakbang ng Maisug Mindanao, which has been supporting the Duterte clan. The group even held an indignation rally to denounce the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. However, the said Facebook page changed its name to “Maisug Mindanao” only on April 22, 2015. Its original name was “BARUG-Bridging Advocates for Reform, Unity, and good governance.”

Another false claim: After being called out by various individuals and organizations, the page added a story claiming, “They paid SWS to discredit the survey because they don’t want the Dutertes to win in Davao. #BagongPilipinasTactics.”

However, Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia are two different social research and public polling firms. It is the latter that debunked the posted surveys.

The supposed surveys are non-existent.

Debunked: Rappler has previously published several fact-checks debunking fake survey results: 

• FACT CHECK: Davao City pre-election survey attributed to OCTA Research is fake
• FACT CHECK: Pasig City mayoral, vice mayoral survey circulating online is fake 
• FALSE: Marcos Jr. leads in Bloomberg survey on best candidate to lead economic recovery

– Lyndee Buenagua/Rappler.com

Lyndee Buenagua is a third year college student and an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.