Pollster found with expired SEC license

CEBU, Philippines —  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has certified that the registration of RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. has been suspended since September 18, 2017.

Lawyer Sheara Lupango-Tamayo said the foundation’s Certificate of Registration No. CN201120610 was suspended on September 18, 2017 as ordered on August 15, 2017.

Tamayo was replying to a letter of lawyer Edmund Lao of Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (Bakud), the political party of Cebu gubernatorial aspirant Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano, verifying the status of the corporation.

The outfit which recently conducted surveys favoring incumbent Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu City mayoralty aspirant Dave Tumulak and others in Cebu has been confirmed operating with suspended SEC registration.

The suspension, Tamayo stated, was due to RP-MDFI’s non-compliance with the reportorial requirements for four consecutive years, from 2012-2016.

It can be recalled that in March of this year, RP-MDFI released results of surveys that favored Garcia over Durano; and Tumulak over incumbent Mayor Michael Rama and mayoralty aspirant, former councilor Margot Osmeña.

Immediately, Asdang Cebu Youth Movement (ACYM) called the attention of the public in a press release that the registration of RP-MDFI has long been suspended by SEC, which triggered Lao’s letter to SEC.

Asdang is a youth movement promoting the Cebu Priority Development Agenda of Durano.

Lawyer Francisco Amit, spokesperson of the Leni-Ace-Junjun (LAJ) Movement, said that RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. is not that well-known in the field to be credible aside from the fact that the numbers were unbelievable.

“The group could be just a poorly conceived propaganda vehicle of somebody supporting Gov. Gwen Garcia. Without credibility, the ploy would not work,” said Amit, in a statement.

Amit added that based on the suspended registration papers of RP-MDFI, it was not within the scope of their purpose to conduct political surveys. — GMR (FREEMAN)