De Lima unfazed by Pulse survey showing 50% 'disagree' with VP Sara's impeachment

ML party-list Rep.-elect and House prosecutor Leila de Lima is unfazed by the unpopularity of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment, as shown in the latest Pulse Asia survey which showed at least 50% disagreed with the move.

"Wala pong epekto iyon [survey]. Para sa akin, and ganun rin siguro ang nasa isipan ng mga iba lang member ng prosecution panel, na hindi po kami magpapadala sa surveys ng ganyan," De Lima said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Tuesday.

(Surveys have no bearing at this point. We prosecutors won’t be swayed by that.)

"Kasi parang yung election din ito, diba. Sa election, may mga surveys. Pero, I always believe na ang tunay na surveys, election day mismo. Nakita natin ito noong nakaraan na eleksiyon lang na hindi talaga tumugma 'yung naging surveys," added De Lima.

(It happened last election; the pre-election surveys did not match the election results.)

"Dito sa usapin ng impeachment, kailangan lang makita, malaman ng mga tao, during the presentation of evidence, kung gaano kalakas yung mga ebidensya. At siguro, kung malakas talaga ang ebidensya, magbabago yung kaisipan ng ilan o karamihan dun sa mga surveys na 'yan," explained De Lima.

(When it comes to impeachment, the public just needs to know what the evidence is and the weight of such evidence. If the evidence is airtight, they will change their minds and the survey results will change.)

Public opinion

De Lima also said that it is premature to ask the public about the impeachment trial since the full-blown proceedings has yet to start.

"Iyong totoong magiging public opinion rito is during the impeachment proceedings... as it goes along, habang pinepresent na lalo ng prosecution iyong mga ebidensiya," said De Lima.

(The true public opinion will surface during the impeachment proceedings, once the evidence are presented.)

According to the report on the survey conducted from May 6 to 9 nationwide among 1,200 registered voters, 28% agree with the filing of the impeachment case by the House of Representatives.

The survey had an overall margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points.

A copy of the report on the results has been posted on Pulse Asia's website.

Twenty-one percent could not say if they agreed or disagreed.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, 2025 with over 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza and the President’s cousin and Speaker, Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez.

The Vice President, for her part, said she is looking forward to her impeachment trial in the upcoming 20th Congress because she “wants a bloodbath,'' noting that her legal team is on "full throttle" in their preparations. —VAL, GMA Integrated News