Majority of Filipinos say Duterte should face impeachment trial - survey

Metro Manila, Philippines - Eighty percent of Filipinos said Vice President Sara Duterte should face an impeachment trial, a survey result released on Sunday, July 27, showed.

Based on the OCTA Research survey conducted on July 12 to 17, the figure is two percentage points higher than April’s 78 percent.

Fourteen percent of Filipinos believed Duterte should not be put on trial, while 7 percent were undecided.

“Public support for putting Vice President Sara Duterte on trial before the Senate or an impeachment court remains significant,” the OCTA Research said.

Most Filipinos in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are in favor of trial. Particularly, in Mindanao, Duterte’s bailiwick, 69 percent want the trial, 30 percent disagreed, and 1 percent is undecided.

The most cited reason why Duterte must face trial is that she should “address the charges against her, clear her name, and prove herself worthy of the vice presidency.”

Meanwhile, most of those who dissented said the trial should not proceed as the impeachment is “just a political fight” between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Duterte.

The OCTA Research survey also showed that 97 percent of Filipinos are aware of the impeachment case against Duterte, “indicating strong national attention and public agreement with the issue.”

A total of 1,200 individuals were asked in the survey, which has a ±3 percent margin of error.

The survey was conducted before the Supreme Court declared the Articles of Impeachment as unconstitutional.

The House impeached Duterte in February due to graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes.