A survey on potential presidential aspirants for 2028 shows that Vice President Sara Duterte “is not invincible,” contrary to some perceptions, according to Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Ridon said he believed the survey results convinced many of his colleagues in the House of Representatives to vote for the impeachment of the Vice President last Monday.
The survey, he said, exposed the perceived invincibility of Duterte.
“I think even the survey you mentioned, where Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Raffy Tulfo are in a dead heat, and where former Vice President Leni Robredo is very close to Vice President Sara Duterte in a head-to-head matchup, unmasked the supposed aura of invincibility of our Vice President,” Ridon said.
“I think this contributed to the added courage of our representatives to take a stand and impeach Vice President Sara Duterte,” he added.
He was referring to last Monday’s impeachment vote, in which 257 House members voted to impeach the Vice President.
Ridon said he was surprised by the result, noting that he had predicted only 215 House members would support impeachment, similar to last year’s impeachment process.
“I was way off when I said 215, but it still reached 257. My actual expectation that day was only around 230 to 235 votes, but it reached 257. That represents 80 percent of the entire House, so the vote to impeach the Vice President was overwhelming,” he said.
He added that House members from known Duterte bailiwicks also voted for impeachment.
“Even within the strongest bailiwicks of the Vice President and the Dutertes in Mindanao, Cebu, and the Visayas, support did not turn out in favor of the Vice President. I think that point needs to be made,” he said.
The Senate, he said, should recognize the overwhelming sentiment in the House to remove Duterte from office.
