OCTA poll: 80% of Filipinos want VP Sara to face impeachment trial

Majority of Filipinos believe that Vice President Sara Duterte should face an impeachment trial to answer the charges against her, results of a survey conducted by OCTA Research showed.

The July 2025 Tugon ng Masa (TNM) Survey, released on Sunday, showed that 80% of respondents answered in the affirmative when asked if they thought Duterte should face trial. There were 14% who disagreed, while the remaining 7% were undecided or refused to answer.

Majority support for the trial was seen across all regions: 87% in the National Capital Region, 77% in balance Luzon, 92% in the Visayas, and 69% in Mindanao.

This was also the case across socio-economic classes: 80% for Classes A, B, C, and D, and 78% for Class E.

For those who agreed that Duterte should face the impeachment trial, the most commonly cited reason, with 59% of respondents, was that she should address the charges, clear her name, and prove herself worthy of her position.

Other reasons include a belief in the charges with 21%, and the view that facing trial is necessary for her to remain eligible to run in the 2028 elections with 16%.

Among those who opposed a trial, 44% said the issue is a political conflict between the camps of Duterte and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whom she ran alongside with in the 2022 national elections.

Other cited a belief in her integrity and disbelief in the allegations with 33%, while 19% said she should focus instead on serving the nation.

The survey fieldwork was conducted using face-to-face interviews from July 12 to July 17, 2025, a week before the Supreme Court released its decision declaring that the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional.

SC spokesperson Camille Ting noted, however, that the SC is not absolving Duterte from any of the charges against her, but any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.

The survey polled 1,200 male and female respondents aged 18 and above. It has a margin of error of ±3 % at a 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates carry a ±6% margin of error for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Out of the respondents, 97% said they have heard, read, or watched anything about the impeachment complaint, while 2% said they were unaware.

The recent SC decision is in relation to the petition filed by Duterte and lawyer Israelito Torreon, among others, seeking to declare the Articles of Impeachment against her null and void

Lawyer and Constitutional law expert Domingo “Egon” Cayosa on Saturday said the Senate may still opt to proceed with the trial, as it may assert its “exclusive power” with regard to impeachment matters.

Three impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte in December 2024, all of which were connected with the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The fourth impeachment complaint, endorsed by over one-third of lawmakers from the House of Representatives, was later on transmitted to the Senate.

Duterte, for her part, entered a “not guilty” plea in the verified impeachment complaint filed against her, which she called merely a “scrap of paper.”

Also on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Senate impeachment court said that the body is set to vote on whether to proceed with the deliberations after receiving the Supreme Court ruling.

The House, meanwhile, said it is preparing to file a motion for reconsideration, arguing that the Supreme Court's ruling is based on what it described as incorrect findings that contradict official records. — BM, GMA Integrated News