By PIA-Bohol | 01:58 PM May 11, 2025
Amidst reports of rampant vote-buying, aspiring candidates would have to think again: a social weather station survey here says 85 percent of Boholanos are voting according to conscience, only 15 percent said they would vote for those who will win.
And as if to reinforce that, Holy Name University’s Bohol Poll 2025 pre-election poll also found out that 84 percent of Boholano voters actually said “most people here decide for themselves on whom to vote for, while 16 percent here said “most people are just told by their leaders on whom to vote for.
For people who are told by their leaders who to vote for and voted according to who they think is fit came consistently through the years: 82% in 2013, 81 % in 2016, 83% in 2019, 85% in 2022 and 85% in 2025.
The same survey said 97 percent of Boholanos are most likely to disregard popularity, over candidates whose views are closest to theirs, ang very few of 3% would rather vote for someone just to defeat a candidate they dislike,
As to the statement: “In an election, it is not bad to accept money when you would still vote for the one your conscience dictates,” 65 percent of Boholanos across all districts agree while only 24% disagree.
During the public presentation of the HNU polls, Bohol bishop Albert Uy, who exhorted Boholanos to end vote-buying, said he is happy about the survey, noting that this gave him an idea on how to tweak the campaign in the next elections perhaps.
Bishop Uy has been batting for absolute end to votebuying, reasoning out that anyone spending to get elected is most likely to recover the investment.
To the campaign, several Boholanos reasoned out that they did not ask for the money anyway, anything that is given therefore comes with conditions.
It is a choice between two evils, they said.
The bishop however stressed that “the option for the lesser evil only applies if there are no other options available.” (PIABohol)
