Despite a recent Supreme Court ruling junking the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, the majority of Filipinos believe she should still face a Senate trial to address the allegations.
This is according to the latest Tugon ng Masa survey conducted by OCTA Research from July 12 to 17, 2025, which found that 8 in 10 Filipinos (80%) support Duterte undergoing an impeachment trial. Only 14 percent disagreed, while 7 percent were undecided.
The release of the survey coincided with the Supreme Court’s July 25 decision declaring the impeachment unconstitutional, citing the violation of the one-year bar on filing multiple complaints and Duterte’s right to due process. OCTA clarified, however, that the survey was conducted independently of the ruling.
“The hope is that these survey results will offer meaningful insights into public sentiment amidst this significant legal and political development,” OCTA said.
Public awareness of the impeachment case was near-universal, with 97 percent of respondents saying they were aware of the issue. Support for a trial was consistent across regions and social classes, highest in the Visayas (92%) and lowest in Mindanao (69%). By socio-economic group, support ranged from 78 to 80 percent.
When asked why Duterte should face trial, 59 percent said she must address the charges and clear her name. Other reasons included belief in the validity of the charges (21%) and the need to resolve the issue to remain eligible for the 2028 elections (16%). The latter reason was more pronounced in Mindanao, where 31 percent cited it.
Among those who opposed a trial, 44 percent viewed the impeachment as a political feud between the Marcos and Duterte camps. Others cited their belief in Duterte’s integrity and the lack of evidence against her.
