In a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS), 46% of the respondents believed that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lies, 18% pronounced that she does not lie, 32% was undecided. Moreover, 40% declared that GMA cheats in elections, 20% stated that she does not cheat, 35% was unsure (Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 2007).
Filipinos have their own different reasons and bases behind this response. One could probably be the public announcement of GMA in 2004 that she was not running for re-elections but eventually she did. Another of course could be the “Hello Garci” scandal. The public uproar on this controversy has never been resolved because GMA has always been up on her feet, strongly determined to suppress the truth. She did not want to be investigated on allegations of electoral fraud by making sure that the impeachment proceedings will not prosper.
Filipinos may never have the chance to know the whole truth, for which we have the moral right to demand. We may never be able to answer the questions at the back of our minds – if this president is legitimate or is just someone who manipulated the numbers so that the votes of her toughest opponent were actually maneuvered to her favor (Institute of Popular Democracy, 2007).
What only very few people know is that GMA’s administration has also institutionalized statistical and methodological alterations to make it appear that poverty in the country has declined. Her administration has introduced a substantial change in methodology in measuring poverty. The new methodology, as compared to the old statistical procedures, resulted in lower poverty headcounts.
Following is an analysis provided by the Asian Development Bank in its 2005 report entitled “Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets and Access.” This is a comparison of conclusions on poverty using the old methodology and the new methodology introduced by GMA’s administration.
Old Methodology: “The poverty incidence increased from 31.8% to 33.7%
between 1997 and 2000. The subsistence incidence increased by 0.5%, which means more hungry families. Poverty increased by 2%.”
GMA’s New Methodology: “The poverty incidence of families increased from 28.1% to 28.4% between 1997 and 2000. The subsistence incidence fell by 0.5%, which means fewer hungry families. There was no change in poverty.”
Under the old methodology, the magnitude of poverty in the Philippines worsened from 1985-2003. In the new methodology, the poverty incidence declined. Moreover, the new methodology was able to conceal the truth that the actual number of poor people increased substantially. There were over 4 million more poor people in 2003 than there were in 1985.
Now, we listen to reports that claim the economy is well. But we ordinary Filipinos cannot believe why we do not feel that wellness in our economic life; why we still fall short of most of our basic needs. So we begin to think – something must be wrong somewhere, somehow. Yes, we are being lied to, in the guise of statistical data.