Metro Manila, Philippines – Three in 10 Filipinos want the impeachment court to acquit Vice President Sara Duterte, and allow her to remain in power, according to a non-commissioned nationwide survey.
The poll, conducted by independent public opinion research firm WR Numero on Feb. 10-18—just days after the House impeached Duterte—showed that 34% of respondents believed that the Senate should not convict or oust Duterte.
Only 23% want a conviction, while a significant 43% are unsure.
Support for Duterte’s acquittal was highest in her home region, Mindanao, at 56%, followed by the Visayas 36%, Metro Manila 31%, and the rest of Luzon 23%.
The survey had 1,814 respondents with a margin of error of ± 2%.
The same poll asked respondents if they agree with the House decision to impeach Duterte, approved with a vote of 215 lawmakers on Feb. 5, sending the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. Forty-seven percent disagreed with the move, 33% agreed, and 20% were undecided.
An earlier Social Weather Stations survey commissioned by Stratbase Consultancy showed different results in December, with 41% of respondents supporting impeachment, 35% opposing it, and 19% undecided.
‘Marcos should remain neutral’
Back to the WR Numero poll, more than half of respondents—56%—said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should remain neutral about the impeachment.
Only 24% said he should oppose it and urge Senate allies to vote for Duterte’s acquittal, while 20% said he should lobby for her conviction.
Marcos has repeatedly denied any involvement in the impeachment of Duterte, his running mate in the 2022 presidential elections before their controversial fallout. Amid discussions about the need for a special session to begin the impeachment trial during the congressional break, Marcos deferred to the Senate to make the request.
Performance ratings drop
Both leaders saw a drop in their performance ratings in the WR Numero surveys.
Duterte’s satisfaction rating declined by six percentage points, from 47% in September 2024 to 41% in February, WR Numero noted. Marcos posted an even larger drop of 15 percentage points, from 45% in September to just 30% this month.
